


Albatross

by TheShortestManOnEarth



Series: Timeline Saga [2]
Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: AU, Adora's gonna get some answers finally, Angst, Deviation from end of season 4 onwards, Eventual Fluff, F/F, First Ones, Glimadora - Freeform, Rating is bumped for some additional graphic violence but it won't be too bad, SPACE!!, Sequel to Reverse, She Ra origins, Slow burn because I like angst sorry, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:14:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 47,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22251664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheShortestManOnEarth/pseuds/TheShortestManOnEarth
Summary: Following the events of "Reverse" Adora, Glimmer, and Catra are prisoners of Horde Prime. In their attempt to escape to Beast Island Adora's She-Ra powers activate, causing their ship to go off course and landing them in a strange, yet vaguely familiar place.Will Adora get the answers she's sought after for so long about the First Ones and where she came from?Sequel to my other fic "Reverse".
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora & Glimmer (She-Ra), Adora/Glimmer (She-Ra), Catra & Glimmer (She-Ra)
Series: Timeline Saga [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1597696
Comments: 12
Kudos: 59





	1. The Ticking Clock

**Author's Note:**

> Hey All!!
> 
> I wasn't expecting to have the time to post the first chapter of this new fic until after my college quarter is over, but I had a low work day and decided this idea couldn't wait. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this. 
> 
> Warning for some blood/graphic content in this chapter. This chapter is a little angsty, but I promise you it will pick up with more fluff as it goes on. I do love romantic stuff so it will happen. It just will take time to build up in the midst of all the drama. 
> 
> Let me know what you think or if you want to just talk about Glimadora. I'll do my best to respond in between classwork.

Trust was a fickle friend. No matter how many people Glimmer met over the past year or so, she still had a hard time placing her trust in others. For someone who was full of bubbly life and a sass first and face the consequences later attitude she didn’t have room to open-up her heart fully often. Maybe it was the losses she’d suffered or the fact that everyone treated her as a commander or as the child of an immortal monarch. Or as a bratty spoiled princess. The latter most of those identities vexed her more than any of the others. She knew she had large wings to fill in her mother’s absence. Whether she’d thought about it directly or subconsciously, Glimmer knew from a young age that she would have to follow in Queen Angella’s footsteps. Or she’d have to make her own path. 

After her father’s death, making her own path scared Queen Angella endlessly. She saw only misfortune in her daughter’s attempts to carve her own mark on Brightmoon. It was only towards the end that Angella had admitted to holding Glimmer back when she was fully ready to take the throne. Though that was not the message that had sunk into Glimmer’s bones. She carried around the idea that she could never measure up to her mother’s ability to organize and rally others to the great Rebellion’s cause. Angella’s belief in her daughter didn’t shine through as her main message for long enough to give Glimmer that idea that Angella trusted her to do the job Glimmer was literally born to do. Glimmer was the heir to Brightmoon, but even she didn’t believe that she could become that person. 

Which brought her to staring angrily at the girl lying unperturbed on the rock-hard bed across the way in the dark prison cell with severe suspicion. Catra had an angle. She always did, no matter how many times the Rebellion had faced off against the Horde Captain, she always had a plan to somehow destroy the Rebellion while making Adora as miserable as possible. Her last couple of plans had nearly killed Adora and Glimmer didn’t think for one sliver of a second that Catra didn’t secretly want that door to open with Horde Prime informing them that they finished off She-Ra. 

“Glaring at me isn’t going to make this any easier, you know,” Catra said. Glimmer blinked, frowning. Catra hadn’t turned her head, but she had apparently noticed how intensely Glimmer was staring at the other girl. 

“Oh, it’s easier than thinking that you’re actually going to help me out of here,” Glimmer snapped. Catra turned slightly, raising an eyebrow. 

“You think I want to be in here?” Catra chuckled. “Believe me, I want out as much as you do.” 

Glimmer laughed hollowly. “Oh, I believe that.” She paused to let all the venom she felt seep through her words. “What I don’t believe is that you’d help me escape when you could save your own skin. We’re not friends, you’ve been an enemy of the Rebellion since the beginning, and you tried to kill Adora.” 

Catra sat bolt up. “She betrayed me first, Sparkles.” Glimmer’s pink eyes met Catra’s mismatched ones. “And the sooner you accept that while I respect that we were once friends, I don’t care what happens to her now, the sooner we can come up with a way out of here.” The Horde Captain ran her claw over the wall, causing it to make a horrible grating noise like nails on a chalkboard. Several marks were on the wall marking the number of days they’d been in prison without any news from the outside world. They’d been brought meager meals in silence by guards, but Horde Prime himself had yet to make an appearance. 

Catra continued as if she hadn’t made the worst noise Glimmer had heard in a long time on the wall. “And like it or not, we need to work together to get out. I can’t fight off everyone here and you don’t know how to talk your way out of trash can, so get used to it.” 

Glimmer glowered at the insult but decided not to grace Catra with the dignity of a verbal response. The quiet didn’t serve to quell any of either girl’s anger at their present situation. Glimmer knew why she was angry. But Catra wanted this. She was fighting for the Horde this whole time; did she think she would always come out on top? Glimmer felt some grim satisfaction that Catra was getting some of the wind knocked out of her sails now that she had to feel the same disillusioning loss of solid ground that the rest of Brightmoon and the other towns felt. 

Glimmer’s eyes went to the door as it clicked, whooshing open, and narrowed her eyes as two guards entered. It wasn’t time for any of their regularly delivered meals. As far as Glimmer was concerned any unexpected visits were bad news. She didn’t trust anything about Horde Prime or his cronies. 

“Oh, now what?” Glimmer muttered under her breath. Catra threw her a warning glance. Neither guard seemed to have noticed Glimmer’s comment because they stepped in and then stepped to the side as a third figure entered the cell. 

“Your Majesty,” Horde Prime said in his cool deceptively charismatic tone. He was too smooth to be genuinely nice, despite the obvious fact that he was already established to be a conquering warlord. “Horde Prime,” Catra responded, cutting off any opportunity Glimmer had to answer. “To what do we owe the pleasure?” Glimmer couldn’t be sure if Catra actually wanted to work with this creep or not, but she decided to let Catra navigate this particular conversation. 

“I must apologize. I have been busy of late and was unable to fill you in on the latest news of our conquests.” Horde Prime smiled serenely. Glimmer wanted to throw up and punch him in the face. She wasn’t sure which impulse would win if she were left to her own devices. 

Catra bowed, “Not at all, My Lord.” Glimmer resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Horde Prime may not have noticed, but Catra was toeing the line on being sarcastic and fake humble. “We understand how important your work is to uniting all the worlds in your name.” Glimmer also gave a quick bow. Horde Prime seemed to be pleased with these reactions as he continued. 

“I am so glad you feel that way. Your service will not go unrewarded. Serve me well and I shall grant you more privileges here,” Horde straightened then. “I wished to provide you with some solace that your friend is making a fine recovery.” Glimmer’s heartbeat sped up and she flicked her eyes to look at Horde Prime. Adora was okay? 

After days of no news, just silence, Glimmer had assumed the worst. Adora had been in terrible shape when they arrived. “She is. In fact, I believe she will be a great asset to my campaign…” Prime paused. “Or rather, she will.” 

Glimmer’s mind ground to a halt at those specific words. “What do you mean?” Prime’s mouth curled into a thin smile. He was hiding something. 

“Well, you see,” Horde Prime said slowly, “Your friend was on the brink of expiring when I learned from her that she was part of this weapon Force Captain Catra mentioned.” Prime’s smile continued to shine brighter. Glimmer’s stomach turned. “Not just that, but she is the key.” The warlord shook his head in mock sorrow. “I could not let such an asset expire. However…” He fixed Glimmer with a hard stare. “I will need you all to commit to your service here and your friend has not been…cooperative thus far.” 

Prime snapped his fingers and two guards dragged in a limp figure that Glimmer almost didn’t register as Adora because of how badly beat up she was. On top of the scars and remains of the previous wounds Adora had sustained, she had bruises all over her body, one of her arms hung at a strange angle, leading Glimmer to believe it was broken, and her eyes were swollen. 

Glimmer bit back a cry. Even Catra looked alarmed. Adora managed to lift her head up and caught Glimmer’s eye. There was barely any life or light left in those blue eyes Glimmer loved so dearly. What Horde Prime had done to Adora was unforgivable. 

“Now, I am not unreasonable,” Horde Prime said calmly, though his eyes were full of impatient rage. “So, I will offer you all an opportunity to prove your worth to me.” He gestured to one of the guards. The guard brought forward a box and opened it. Inside was what looked like medical supplies. 

“Swear your fealty to me and convince your friend here to serve me and you will receive medical care and the privileges of my other soldiers.” Horde Prime nodded and the guard snapped the box shut. “Refuse and I will be forced to let you friend here die of her injuries and your fates will soon follow suit.” Horde Prime turned on his heel and the guards let go of Adora and she would have hit the floor if not for Glimmer’s quick movements to catch her. “Choose. You have one day.” 

The guards and Horde Prime exited the room and the door whooshed closed once more. Glimmer guided Adora to the bed on Glimmer’s side of the room, careful not to jar any of Adora’s injuries. Once she was settled, Glimmer let loose a sigh of pained relief. She was glad to see Adora, but all the Queen of Brightmoon’s nightmares about Adora being tortured and left to die were all weighing on Glimmer at once. 

“Why didn’t you just cooperate with them?” Catra cut in. Glimmer shot the Horde Captain a livid look. 

“Seriously, Catra?” Glimmer demanded. “Cooperate with that monster? He wants to use Adora to destroy planets!” 

Catra waved her hand at the cell around them as she responded, “So we refuse and what, just wait for them to kill us?” She flicked her tail and glared back at Glimmer. “I want to do what it takes to get out of here.” 

“No, you don’t,” Adora said and then coughed, a sickening, rattling noise that shook her whole body to the core. Now both sets of eyes were on Adora. Glimmer knelt next to her friend, taking her hand gently. 

“Adora, what did he do to you?” Glimmer asked, concern and anger fighting for dominance in her voice. 

“Horde Prime doesn’t just want to use me as a weapon,” Adora said, sucking in a breath as a wave of pain hit her. “He wants to wipe me clean like he did to Hordak.” Catra frowned at that. 

“But, you’re not a clone of Prime, how does he plan to do that?” Catra asked. She couldn’t believe that Prime knew anything of the magic that Shadow Weaver had attempted to use on Adora some time ago. But then again, there must be a reason Horde Prime was able to maintain control of all his forces without much resistance. 

Adora shook her head. “I’m not sure… I just know that he said he wanted to use me and that his first target would be Brightmoon since Hordak failed to destroy it.” Glimmer’s eyes went wide. There wouldn’t be any way for them to stop it from happening if Horde Prime had complete control of Adora. 

“Well, the sword was destroyed,” Glimmer offered. “So, he can’t do anything, right?” Adora averted her gaze. “Right? Adora?” 

“The sword was just a tool,” Adora said, licking her lips. They were dry, cracked, and bleeding at this point. Glimmer must have noticed because she took her cape and dabbed at Adora’s lips. “The real weapon… is the magic inside me.” 

Glimmer couldn’t find the words to address that information. When did Adora figure that out? “Wait, so you could have used it this whole time without the sword?” Catra blurted. “Oh, that’s just hilariously perfect for you.” 

Adora scowled. “The sword was meant to control me, Catra. There’s nothing funny about it.” She sighed and coughed again. “There’s so much I just don’t know about the First Ones, about me, or why they created this weapon…” She closed her eyes as searing pain burned across her body. 

“Well, we can’t just let him control you. That’s not happening.” Glimmer stated firmly. Catra laughed. 

“That’s great, you two can go on playing the goody two shoes, and we’ll just die here.” Catra bit as she hopped onto her bed. Glimmer sighed. Catra wasn’t altogether wrong. Their choice wasn’t easy. No matter what they did, they would endanger themselves and Eternia. 

Adora looked down and then when her eyes met Glimmer’s once more, the pink haired girl sat back a little, unnerved by the solemn determination in Adora’s eyes. Glimmer had gotten good at reading Adora’s mind when she tried to do something reckless. Glimmer knew Adora was going to try to sneak in to see Shadow Weaver when the former Horde Sorceress broke into Brightmoon to speak with Adora. She could see something working behind Adora’s eyes now. What it was Glimmer didn’t know and she didn’t like how quiet Adora was. 

“Adora, you’re planning something, aren’t you?” Glimmer asked. Even Catra’s interest was peaked from where she lay on her back across the room. Two mismatched eyes followed Adora’s expression. Catra frowned slightly. 

“I know that look.” Catra said. Glimmer glanced over at Catra and then slowly realized what the other had. 

“No.” Glimmer deadpanned. 

“Yes, it’s the only way.” Adora said, squeezing Glimmer’s hand. 

“Damn it, Adora, you promised me!” Glimmer yelled. Catra’s eyebrows went up at the rise in volume, but she said nothing. Glimmer’s hands were shaking now. She was trying hard to not lose her temper at Adora, especially after they’d been apart for so long, but Adora was being such a noble moron again. It was a charming quality sometimes, but lately it was wearing on Glimmer’s last nerves, and more importantly, on her heart. 

“And I’ll keep that promise,” Adora said. Now Catra sat up. 

“Wait, what?” Catra said. Glimmer mimicked Catra’s expression. 

“Yeah, what do you mean, Adora?” Glimmer asked. “Because I’m pretty sure what you were planning was to let yourself die so no one could use you.” 

Adora coughed, smiling weakly. “Horde Prime won’t let me die.” Glimmer wasn’t sure if Adora was spouting nonsense because of how badly injured she was and delirium was finally kicking in, but none of what Adora had said was making any sense. 

“Okaaay…” Glimmer said, folding her arms across her chest. “So, what’s the plan then?” Adora pushed herself up, her arms almost giving out as she did so. Glimmer jumped in and slipped her arm under Adora’s to hold her up. 

Adora straightened. “If I’m in bad enough shape he’ll have to step in, and the docking bay is near the infirmary.” Glimmer’s mouth opened and then shut. 

“This is a terrible plan.” Catra said plainly. Glimmer was glad that Catra was incredibly blunt and didn’t care about hurting Adora’s feelings with brutal honesty. Glimmer wasn’t sure she had it in her to tell Adora that she was basically asking to die at the hands of Horde Prime if what Glimmer was beginning to follow as Adora’s brilliant plan came to pass. 

“How is it terrible?” Adora flipped back at Catra. The Horde Captain tapped her chin in mock thought. 

“Hm, how is it _not _terrible?” Catra asked. Adora sighed and gave Catra a dirty look. Glimmer watched the exchange with some jealousy. There was a clear bond between the two, even if it was still clinging on by frayed strands of what used to be a thick, taut rope.__

__“Look, I don’t hear you offering a better solution,” Adora pointed out. Catra shrugged._ _

__“You and Sparkles don’t seem to value my input,” Catra responded. Glimmer rolled her eyes at that._ _

__“Gee, I wonder why.” Glimmer said sarcastically. Adora sighed and sat back against the wall, no longer able to hold herself up. Glimmer took a seat next to her, keeping an eye out in case the blonde needed support again. With the amount of damage the Horde had inflicted on the poor girl, the Queen of Brightmoon did not trust Adora to not keel over at any time._ _

__“I’ve always valued your input, Catra,” Adora said quietly. Catra snorted but said nothing. “And we need a plan. I’m willing to do what I have to in order to keep everyone safe, but I can’t do it alone.” Glimmer’s eyes went to Adora for a moment at those words._ _

__Adora had never openly admitted to needing help. When did that change? Glimmer knew that part of that had to do with Adora’s training in the Horde. Any kind of dependence could be seen as weakness. Glimmer had learned after being held captive by Shadow Weaver that even having a cold was considered an act of weakness and that hiding illness was commonplace. Glimmer couldn’t even imagine having to hide everything from a cold to broken bones._ _

__Her eyes shot to Adora’s body now. There was evidence of some broken bones in Adora’s ginger treatment of her body and Adora wasn’t batting an eye about that. Glimmer hated how stoic Adora could be sometimes. It was agonizing to watch her suffer in silence. Despite Adora’s strides to rely on others more, Glimmer could see this was going to be an uphill battle she would need reinforcements for._ _

__“What about keeping _you _safe?” Glimmer asked. Adora felt a pang of regret at those words. Similar ones were spoken to her by Angella right before she sacrificed herself for the second time. She had tried to convince Adora that her life mattered more than she gave herself credit for. But Adora still wasn’t convinced that her destiny wasn’t to die protecting the world. That’s why she had these powers, right?___ _

___“I…” Adora tried to formulate a sentence to argue with Glimmer but failed as soon as those pink eyes bored into the former’s blue. Adora swallowed. Nothing on the planet would make her admit it, but every time Glimmer looked at Adora with those sparkling eyes the former Horde soldier either felt like conquering a hundred soldiers or giving up to surrender to those stunning eyes. But of course, that would be admitting weakness. If Glimmer knew that she had the power to shut down Adora’s warrior instincts with just a look, well… Adora knew she’d be doomed. That wouldn’t be so bad, right? Doomed to be at the whim of the most beautiful girl in Brightmoon._ _ _

___Adora steeled her flaking resolve. _Nope, not going there _. She already had a lot on her mind with trying to escape. She and Glimmer hadn’t discussed in detail what their relationship was. They’d admitted they loved each other, but what did that _mean _? How to handle talking to someone who cared about you was definitely not a topic covered in the Horde Academy. Adora and Catra cared about each other in their own separate ways, but neither was ever able to fully process it. No one would let them, especially not Catra. Any kind of emotional attachment seemed to scare the part cat girl. Adora too was wary of anything that didn’t have a practical plan. She seemed to get frazzled by any situation she couldn’t plot into a mission._____ _ _

___Was Glimmer her new mission? Adora froze at the thought. She would fail Glimmer with flying colors. Adora refocused on Glimmer. “I’m the one who can hurt everyone with my power.”_ _ _

___The tall blonde averted her gaze. Ever since she found out her power could protect Etheria, Adora had felt pride in who she was. Glimmer had watched Adora grow with compassion, discarding the toxic teachings of the Horde, because she knew that she had the ability to right the wrongs of the past. Now Adora knew she was part of the reason Brightmoon wasn’t safe. Glimmer wanted nothing more than to wrap Adora up inside the wings on the Queen’s back and keep her safe. The pain in those blue eyes was full of guilt. Why had the First Ones dumped this mess on her? How dare they. Adora didn’t deserve any of this._ _ _

___“Adora,” Glimmer took her friend’s hand. “You’re always helping others, let me help you.”_ _ _

___“What if I’m the reason you get hurt?” Glimmer wanted to hug Adora so tightly then. Stars above, this girl was so pure, so caring. Without applying too much pressure, Glimmer leaned over and held Adora._ _ _

___“You won’t hurt me,” Glimmer promised, thumbing Adora’s face lightly. “That weapon isn’t you.” They remained like that until a loud retching noise came from the other side of the cell. Glimmer pulled away from Adora, but not before she pressed a kiss to the blonde’s forehead._ _ _

___“Are you two done?” Catra asked. Adora managed to give Glimmer a shrug and a small smile. It was hard not to when Glimmer had just kissed all the butterflies in the former Horde soldier’s stomach into a gleeful drunken tizzy. Catra crossed the room and planted herself between the two._ _ _

___“Okay, plan time.” She stated flatly. “I propose we come up with an idea that doesn’t involve any of us almost dying.” If things hadn’t changed and Adora was still with the Horde, she may have made a joke about Catra caring about her former comrade. But Adora knew better now. Things were complicated. Adora knew that she’d never forget the bond she shared with Catra. How could they? Growing up with someone gave you a biased lens on life that colored your decisions. Adora and Catra wanted to protect each other. For Adora that feeling had threatened to never fade. But then Catra had almost killed everyone with the portal. Adora cared about Catra, but there was only so much to do for someone who didn’t think she needed saving._ _ _

___Catra was not Adora’s responsibility. The cat girl had accepted this a long time ago. Long before Adora had even registered that their relationship had become a rivalry of sorts. They weren’t friends. Adora was not Catra’s responsibility. But Catra didn’t want to be stuck with Horde Prime. So, she had to accept her former friend’s help._ _ _

___“And what’s your suggestion?” Glimmer asked pointedly. Catra ignored the edge in Glimmer’s voice. The Horde Captain was used to it by now. She had been through enough to brush off most of the hard looks and harsh words she seemed to garner from others. It wasn’t like she cared either. If she had, she would have stopped serving the Horde long ago. But she was here, and she wasn’t about to lie down and let Horde Prime use her as a glorified doormat for his war campaign._ _ _

___“Horde Prime needs Adora,” Catra said. “But he doesn’t know that she can do this without the sword.” She gestured out of the cell. “All we need is to get somewhere near the docking bay. Convince him that we have to create a new sword from First One’s tech.”_ _ _

___Glimmer nodded slowly, but immediately her mind was flooded with all the holes in Catra’s idea. First, convincing Horde Prime to allow them to search for new tech would be difficult, if not impossible. The cold white-faced leader did not seem like the type to fall for tricks. He was perceptive. He couldn’t have gotten far in his conquests by falling for ploys. No, he knew that he had to control Adora and he’d done a good job of putting her in non-negotiable position._ _ _

___“How are we supposed to convince him that we’re trustworthy?” Glimmer vocalized her concern. Adora nodded in agreement._ _ _

___“Glimmer’s right,” Adora said. Glimmer brightened at that comment. After all that they’d been through, between their arguments, and the newly minted Queen feeling uncertain in her new station, it was nice to be on the same page. Though now Glimmer knew that Adora meant well with her feedback and it was just something that Glimmer had to learn to take on advisory. She was sure her mother had to listen to many opinions she disagreed, including Glimmer’s. “I don’t see Horde Prime agreeing to anything that would compromise his control.”_ _ _

___Catra nodded. “Exactly.”_ _ _

___Adora folded her arms across her chest, cocking her head to the side in confusion. “Exactly what?” Glimmer looked at Catra for clarification._ _ _

___“You’ll promise that you’ll do the mind wipe after the mission to retrieve the First One’s tech. We can tell him to send a bunch of soldiers with us if he needs to.” Catra paused, as if expecting an immediate opposition to her plan, but neither of the other two were forthcoming with an objection._ _ _

___“If he agrees to that,” Adora said slowly._ _ _

___“A big if.” Glimmer added._ _ _

___“We’ll need a way to fight off the soldiers to break free. And we’ll need to know where to go to get the tech. It’ll have to be a place we know we can fight and run to,” Adora continued. All three thought about that. Horde Prime knew a lot about the universe outside of Eternia and the three of them only realized recently that anything outside of Eternia existed._ _ _

___Adora’s eyes widened and then she said, “Beast Island.” Both sets of eyes bored into Adora with expressions of severe disbelief._ _ _

___“Beast Island? We don’t even know if there’s tech there,” Catra said incredulously._ _ _

___“Moreover, it’s not safe there!” Glimmer exclaimed. Adora smiled wanly. Oh, no. That was a bad look on her face. If Adora was smiling when their mission was to go somewhere dangerous it was always a bad sign. Catra seemed to sense the same thing because she was still trying to reason with Adora._ _ _

___“Look, Adora, you know that I don’t care one way or the other if you or Sparkles here dies,” Catra said. “But Beast Island is a death trap. That’s why we sent Entrapta there.”_ _ _

___“Yeah, you did,” Adora said coolly. Catra swallowed at the smoldering look Adora gave her former comrade. The look immediately faded as Adora began coughing again, this time she cupped her hand over her mouth and when she removed it, she saw droplets of blood tricking down her palm. She clenched her fist to cover the blood and returned her attention to the other two._ _ _

___“So, we go, then what?” Catra said. “I don’t expect Horde Prime will just leave us alone.” Another silence followed. With the little time they had, they couldn’t plan for every scenario, but they did need a plan to handle Horde Prime once they broke free. Brightmoon needed its Queen to lead them. They needed a way to get off Beast Island and fight back._ _ _

___“We’ll have to get a message to Brightmoon somehow,” Adora put in. “If Entrapta is still alive…” She threw another look at Catra. “Then we can get her to build something for us.”_ _ _

___“That’s a lot of ifs,” Glimmer said with a sigh. “But it’s going to have to be enough. It’s probably close to morning here.” She looked around. Ever since she got here, she’d had a hard time telling time. She mainly relied on when the meals were served as time markers. But beyond that, she wasn’t entirely sure how to sense time. It was as if they were outside of time here in space._ _ _

___Adora’s coughing fit started again and this time she couldn’t cover the blood trickling down her wrist onto her forearm. She attempted to wipe it away, but Glimmer had already noticed and was at her side instantly._ _ _

___“Adora, what’s… is that blood?” She moved Adora’s hand and then noticed the red stains on the blonde’s palms. She gritted her teeth. Catra’s eyes rested on Adora. They were firm, but mostly unreadable. Nothing fazed Catra, well, except for a mouse, but other than that, she rarely ever seemed bothered by injuries. The Horde had trained them to ignore their injuries in exchange for ensuring the mission was successful. That was the only goal. Only now did Catra seem to find that unnerving. Adora was not okay and for once it wasn’t Catra’s doing. The cat girl studied her former friend. She was shaking as Glimmer guided her to lie down on the bed._ _ _

___One other thing that Catra remembered learning in the Horde was that the mission could not succeed with a weak link. Injuries slowed you down. Adora wouldn’t make it to Beast Island. Catra watched Glimmer fuss over the blonde warrior. As much as she resented Adora, Catra knew that Adora was braving more pain than was apparent._ _ _

____Adora _, Catra thought quietly. _You’re dying, aren’t you? _She looked up as Glimmer walked over.____ _ _ _

___“She’s finally asleep. We just need to get some medical supplies when we leave,” Glimmers said, though it wasn’t really to Catra. The cat Captain’s eyes watched Adora sleeping. She was pale. There wasn’t any way to get her to Beast Island like this._ _ _

___“You know she’s not going to make it, right?” Catra asked. Glimmer whipped around._ _ _

___“Don’t say that. Adora’s tough,” Glimmer snapped. Catra shook her head. Of course, Catra knew that. She knew Adora’s strengths and weaknesses better than anyone._ _ _

___“Adora’s putting on a brave face,” Catra continued. “But she’s worse than she’s letting on.” Words stalled in Glimmer’s mind as she opened her mouth and then closed it several times. She wanted to come up with a reason to argue with Catra, but she could see that the Horde Captain wasn’t trying to be mean. She saw something in Adora that Glimmer couldn’t. The Queen chewed her lip._ _ _

___“How…” Glimmer’s eyes teared up. No, she couldn’t do that. She wiped her face and stared hard at Catra. “How long does she have?”_ _ _

___“A day or two at most,” Catra said. She then shook her head. “That’s optimistic though. She’s going to die from an infection or worse if we don’t treat her soon.” The two then exchanged looks. They both knew that Horde Prime would do anything to save a useful asset, but would he do it in time for their plan to work?_ _ _

___Or in time to save Adora? Glimmer’s mind filled with the image of her friend lying cold on the bed. Dying far from home, from their friends, and without having lived the life she deserved. Or getting answers on where she came from. That’s what Adora joined the Rebellion to do. Glimmer had to help her do that at least._ _ _

___The door whooshed open then. Guards once more entered the cell. “Time’s up. What is your answer?”_ _ _


	2. Beliefs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi All,
> 
> Thank you for being patient with this story. I had a lot of work to do during my last college quarter and was sidetracked by the ending of Steven Universe (and writing a lot of fan fiction for it). While I still have some ideas for SU that I'm planning to write this Summer since I'm off from classes, I still plan to prioritize finishing Albatross. Also I have the motivation that I am not watching Season 5 until I'm done with this story (in order for it to not influence the way I've planned out the ending). I wrote the ending to Albatross months ago when I first started this fic so at this point I'm guessing it'll be around the same length as Reverse. 
> 
> I appreciate all the comments and feedback you've all left and I will try to get to answering them shortly. I do also have visual arts projects I am working on this Summer too, so posting may skip a few days here and there in between this story and my SU fic "Someday". 
> 
> I have also set up a Discord that I'll be loading my WIPS onto for beta reading or feedback going forward. So let me know if you'd like to be added. 
> 
> Thanks again for all the support!

Fear was not part of Catra’s nature. Everything she did, everything she said, and everything she stood for was presented to the world without any sense of hesitation. She wasn’t above tricking others or doing whatever was necessary to win whatever fight she was in. Adora on the other hand, was a meticulous planner. She honed her skills dutifully in the Horde, stuck to the rules like glue, and only when Catra needed her to did Adora break form to jump in and provide support. But other than that, Catra never saw her former friend break with whatever code she swore by at the time. In the Horde it was good quality to have when people like Shadow Weaver or Hordak were breathing down your neck, waiting for you to slip up. But when it came to reality, moral codes were at best, good for a laugh. 

Looking into the green eyes of Horde Prime evoked a sense of unease that Catra was not used to feeling. He had an air of pompous pride that annoyed Catra too, so her fears, if there were any, took a back seat to her contempt. 

“We agree to your terms,” Catra found herself saying. Glimmer watched from where she sat on the bed, cradling Adora’s head in her lap. Horde Prime waited. _This asshole knows we want to bargain_. “However, for the weapon to work we will need a specific material found on Eternia. We ask that you allow us to retrieve the material before we swear our loyalty to you.” 

Prime’s head tilted up, his eyes combing over Catra. It was as if he was running a scan of her, examining every part of her physically, mentally, and staring hard into her eyes. Catra was glad she wasn’t mentally connected to him the way Hordak was. Just feeling his eyes on her felt like a creepy violation of her privacy. 

“Very well,” Horde Prime said. Catra felt her body tense. She knew he would have a condition to their plan. He snapped his fingers and two guards stepped forward. “You and the Queen will go.” Glimmer’s heart sank. “The weapon stays here.” The Queen’s eyes darkened. _Weapon?_ Adora wasn’t just some tool. She had to bite down hard on her lip to keep from screaming obscenities at the Horde warlord. 

“We need her to help us,” Catra said, taking any opportunity for Glimmer to break her silence away. “She knows how to make this technology work. And she knows more about the sword than either of us.” 

Horde Prime’s face remained impassive for a moment. He frowned slightly as if he was processing how to keep them under his thumb. He could sense they were planning something. But he couldn’t discern precisely what the three were planning. “The weapon is in poor shape. I will not risk damaging my tools.” 

Glimmer’s firm bite on her lip now drew blood. She was ready to throttle Horde Prime and deal with the consequences later. The way he spoke about Adora was just plain disgusting. Catra’s face on the other hand remained neutral. She was used to dealing with stuck up warlords like Hordak or Tongue Lasher. Horde Prime was just a bigger fish than the others. He had the same faults as the two former leaders, namely that he thought he couldn’t be taken down. That was always the first mistake a leader could make. 

“My Lord,” Catra said slowly. “Send whoever you want with us, we’ll cooperate. But Adora is the only one who understands the tech. We can go without her, but we might get you the wrong parts and waste your time. I would hate to waste your time.” Her face showed deference so fake that it was astonishing that Horde Prime seemed to buy it. Glimmer on the other hand was close to rolling her eyes at the terrible performance. Catra would suck at acting if she ever got a chance to perform. Double Trouble on the other hand, was a master. 

Horde Prime had clearly seen through Catra’s bluff because he smiled calmly. In that moment even Catra felt a surge of fear flow through her. 

“Yes, you will cooperate. The weapon will be programmed to obey prior to your departure to ensure that nothing interferes with our plan.” Horde Prime turned on his heel and the guards moved in to grab Adora. Glimmer let loose a feral yell and punched one of the guards hard in the face, shattering the glass part of their helmet. Her knuckles now dripped blood as her pink eyes flashed unfiltered fury. 

Catra was by Glimmer’s side now, throwing the Queen an exasperated look as she hissed under her breath, “Seriously, Sparkles? That was our out! We could have broken out when they grabbed us!” 

Glimmer’s eyes hardened. “Maybe Adora’s life is just a tool to you, but she means more than life itself to me. I don’t expect you to get that, Catra. You never did care.” Glimmer powered a punch with a tiny bit of magic and blasted the last guard away from the door. Catra then slashed the two that had come running as soon as the commotion started. Horde Prime stood a few feet away, his face unreadable. 

“I sincerely hoped we could come to an agreement, but it seems that I will have to revise our terms.” Horde Prime said. Glimmer threw Adora’s arm over her shoulder. 

“Can it, Chalk Face,” Glimmer spat. He looked almost surprised at the insult. Even Catra looked mildly impressed by the retort. She readied another blast with her free hand, but Catra pushed her arm down. 

“Save your energy. We’ll need it when we get to the docking bay,” Catra whispered. She then picked up one of the blasters the unconscious guards had dropped and tossed it to Glimmer. The pink haired girl caught it and then blasted two incoming guard reinforcements as they ran across the bridge across the circular prison block. It was structured similarly to the one in Hordak’s base with the advanced technology as the main difference. This would make navigating the prison easier. 

“Very well,” Horde Prime said coolly. He raised his hand and his eyes glowed. The three prisoners were then surrounded by a sea of guards. Before Glimmer could even register the situation, Catra was off kicking guards over the railings and into the shaft below. Glimmer adjusted her support of Adora’s arm and then started firing off her own rounds. One good thing about being on Catra’s side was not having to worry about the Cat Captain’s dirty tricks. Meanwhile, the guards were on the receiving end of Catra’s kicks, slashes, bites, and blaster fire. She had managed to procure a stun baton by now and was downing more guards. 

“Which way is the-” Catra shoved her claws into a guard’s arm and then shoved them into another squad of incoming guards, sending them staggering back for a minute. “Out of my way!” She returned her attention to Adora. “Where is the docking bay from here?” Glimmer also tuned in as Adora lifted her head to glance around to get her bearings. 

“Over the bridge and up three floors, by the medical center.” Adora breathed, coughing a little. Catra smacked a guard with a backfist as they tried to blindside her. 

“Right, let’s go,” She said and grabbed an extra blaster as she began moving towards the bridge. The guards weren’t posing much of a threat. They were surprisingly weak. She would have imagined that Horde Prime had better soldiers, but it seemed like his clones and soldiers were just as strangely inactive as he was. Catra frowned as she watched Horde Prime out of the corner of her eye. Something about his lack of personal action was bothering her. She knew he was more powerful than Hordak. He had wiped the old Horde leader’s memory without much effort. He had conquered worlds and had armies the size of planets. Why wasn’t he fighting right now? 

Catra didn’t have time to contemplate her questions any further as Glimmer was already in the process of clearing a path to the bridge. Soldiers threw themselves at the two. The Queen was having a hard time fighting one handed with the added task of keeping Adora from sustaining any more injuries, but it couldn’t last. She blasted two guards with her gun and then stepped onto the bridge. Catra took out one last guard and then used the one to her immediate right as leverage to launch herself into the air and land on the bridge next to Glimmer. Being part cat did come with some perks. 

More guards poured in from all sides. Catra decked one and they fell off the side of the bridge. “How are we going to get up there?” Glimmer murmured as guards blocked the other side of the bridge. 

Adora coughed as she croaked, “Put me in front.” Glimmer’s blood chilled. Catra’s eyebrows went up so far that they almost touched her hairline. 

“What? No, no, no, absolutely not,” Glimmer said, giving Adora an incredulous look. “Why the heck would we do that?” 

“Because Horde Prime won’t hit her,” Catra filled in, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. “It’s actually pretty brilliant.” Glimmer looked from Adora to Catra. Neither one of them seemed to have their heads on right. 

“Have you both lost it? I thought we were trying to keep Adora _safe_?” Glimmer gestured to Adora. The latter attempted a weak smile. 

“Glimmer, trust me, I’ll be fine.” Adora said. Glimmer bit her lip. She tried to hard to object but with Adora’s deep blue eyes fixing the Queen with a reassuring stare, she faltered. 

“I am _sooo_ gonna regret this.” Glimmer muttered. Adora smiled and put a shaky hand on the purple haired girl’s shoulder. The Queen shifted her hold on her wounded friend, so she was facing out towards the mass of guards. Adora shut her eyes and focused. With the energy she had waning, if the guards did decide to open fire she wouldn’t last. Her body was spent. Once more the three began moving, but Adora stayed in front. The guards tried to move around the blonde but failed. Some raised their guns and took aim. 

“Enough!” The thunderous voice seemed to stall any guard taking any kind of offensive action in their tracks. All eyes went to the towering form of Horde Prime. He remained outwardly calm, but his eyes told a different story. The slits were moving between narrow and wide open with a blazing red rage. Every muscle seemed to be shaking in an effort to keep from boiling over. “Do not harm the weapon. As for the other two-kill them.” 

On cue the guards rushed the three prisoners, moving around Adora, who tried her best to block her companions. But the exhaustion was setting in and she couldn’t move fast enough to keep the guards from coming. A few attempts to grab her had been foiled but she was slowing down. Adora watched Glimmer try to fist fight her way around the guards. Without the Runestone to recharge her powers, it was likely the Queen didn’t have a lot of power left, if any at all. 

“Glimmer, can you teleport us?” Adora’s voice barely croaked. The purple haired Queen turned to sock a guard in the face before looking at Adora. Glimmer hadn’t been overly fond of Adora’s last plan and shot the blonde a wary look before answering. 

“Yeah, but not far.” Glimmer said. Her eyes searched Adora for an inkling of where the other was going with this line of questioning. But this time Glimmer couldn’t read her friend. Past experiences told Glimmer that whatever Adora had planned was probably doubly reckless and thoroughly thought out. However, Adora was burned out. Other experiences filled Glimmer’s mind with Adora’s drunk state when her powers malfunctioned due to the First One’s tech. 

“When I give the word,” Adora said, almost losing her balance in that moment. Glimmer caught her. “Get us up to the third floor.” 

“Adora, what are you going to-” Glimmer started but then cut herself off to slam her elbow into the neck of a guard. When she returned her attention to the blonde, Adora’s body was starting to glow. The corrupted vines spread faster across her body and she bit down hard on her lip to keep from screaming. Her eyes blinked and when they reopened were missing pupils. Even Catra looked unnerved by the sight. Adora then turned to the guards, her body levitating off the guard as she lifted her hand. 

“Wait, Adora-” Glimmer started once more. 

“Now!” Adora yelled and a bright light emitted from her hand. The force sent guards flying in all directions, radiated cracks across the platforms, and Horde Prime was momentarily stunned after hitting the wall. Glimmer summoned all her remaining power and the three vanished in a cloud of sparkles to reappear on the platform a few floors up. 

As they landed, Adora’s body returned to normal and she collapsed, her energy depleted. “Adora!” Glimmer dropped to her friend’s side. 

“We need to go. Now.” Catra said. Glimmer glared at Catra. 

“Adora’s in no condition to move,” The Queen said. Catra’s eyes narrowed. She hated how emotional Glimmer was. They were in the middle of a battle. Emotions had no place here. 

“And if we don’t move, that won’t matter.” Catra replied flatly. “Adora gave us some extra time with that moronic power thing. We need to use it while we can.” Glimmer’s eyes went from Adora’s pale face to Catra’s annoyed one. 

“Fine,” Glimmer muttered and lifted Adora’s arm over her shoulder. She stood, letting loose a low “Oooph,” as she balanced Adora’s weight over her own. “Where are we going?” 

“Adora was the one who knew where the docking bay was,” The cat Captain said with a low laugh. “Of course she’s unconscious now.” Glimmer ignored the grouchy Horde soldier and took stock of their surroundings. 

“She said it was by the medical center, right?” Glimmer said. She glanced around to see if she could see any doors that resembled a medical center. All the doors were the same pain standard grayish white color. 

“There!” Glimmer’s eyes followed Catra’s finger. On the other side of the platform was a large transparent glass room. Medical equipment was barely visible from their current position, but it was clear enough that the two exchanged silent looks before starting to briskly walk over. Below the shouts of guard as they started to recover from Adora’s attack filled the air. The hum of the transport platforms pushed Catra into a light jog. The transportation platform let out a clang and airy whooshing noise as it connected with the main platform. The clomping of boots grew louder as the three prisoners tried to run towards the medical center. 

It was only a few feet away now but a quick glance in their peripheral vision showed the guards were gaining on the three faster than they could break free. Catra muttered some curses under her breath and then fired a blast from the gun she’d stolen from a downed guard over her shoulder. A grunt rewarded her efforts as a guard dropped to their knees. She continued to fire, dropping the guards as she ran. Glimmer kept track of this in her peripheral as she focused on trying to see if she could see the docking bay from where they were. They rounded the corner and Catra lingered at the corner to avoid having a blind spot. 

Glimmer surveyed the hallway. Once more it was filled with rows of identical looking doors with the bland white gray metal. The docking bay had to be here somewhere. 

“Hurry up, Sparkles!” Catra yelled as she fired off another round. Glimmer shook her head. How the cat Captain ever succeeded in missions with that level of impatience the Queen would never know. She knew she wasn’t the best at being practical or reasonable in missions. But at least Glimmer knew when she was being too brash. She’d learned that the hard way. 

Her eyes did another round of the rows. She was going cross-eyed from the monotony of it all. A groan from below almost made her jump. Adora’s eyes flitted open a little. She stared blearily up at Glimmer. 

“Glimmer?” The purple haired girl’s fear of the current situation vanished for a second at seeing Adora’s face. 

“I’m here, Adora,” She assured the blonde. Adora’s eyes went to the hallway. 

“Docking bay,” The warrior girl mumbled. 

“What did she say?” Catra had moved closer to listen in. Glimmer restrained herself from snapping at the cat Captain for interrupting. Adora pushed herself up a little and pointed to a large set of double doors towards the end of the hallway. She then let out a giggle and slumped into Glimmer’s arms. The purple haired girl started but relaxed when she felt the steady breathing of her friend. It was faint, but still there. 

Catra was off and walking towards the docking bay before Glimmer could stand, let alone support Adora. The Queen glared blades at the back of the cat girl. It was a wonder that Adora ever found friendship in this girl. Catra seemed to radiate a vitriol for everyone no matter how nice or mean they were to her. Glimmer couldn’t figure it out and she didn’t doubt that it confused the hell out of Adora too. Now Glimmer was seeing just how Adora had become so conflicted by Catra over the last year. Glimmer had only seen Catra as she was now, full of spite and paranoia, but Adora had seen Catra as a friend. 

Who the Cat Captain was deep down, no one knew at this point. If Adora had been twisted and pulled in every direction by the Horde’s manipulative training, despite having left, Glimmer was sure that Catra felt that ten-fold. She was inconsistently lashing out. If Catra hadn’t tried to hurt everyone and kill Adora with the portal, twice, Glimmer might have felt sympathy for the girl. But as it was, the Queen didn’t exactly feel like Catra deserved forgiveness. Adora had given Catra so many chances to redeem herself. But the cat girl had thrown them all away. 

“Hey, move it, Sparkles. The guards aren’t that far behind us.” Catra called from where she stood down the hall. Glimmer blinked. She hadn’t realized she’d slowed down as she was lost in her thoughts. She gave one glance behind her before picking up the pace. More voices and the clacking of weapons as the guards approached the hall sent a chill of fear coursing through Glimmer’s body. She started to run as she saw the first squad cast their shadows in the light of the hallway. 

“Get the weapon. Horde Prime wants the others dead.” The commander barked. Glimmer swallowed. Catra left her post outside the docking bay and began firing. Glimmer winced as a blast struck her shoulder. She wished she had more energy to shoot back with her magic, but she knew she was almost out. 

“I told you to keep moving!” Catra barked as she appeared at Glimmer’s side. She pressed a blaster into the purple girl’s hands. The cat Captain then lightly dodged the guards who attempted to shoot her and kicked them one by one to the ground and shot them with their own blaster rifles. She twirled one in her hand and tossed a holster to Glimmer. “Keep that, we’ll need more backups.” Glimmer wordlessly sheathed the blasters closest to her feet. Catra did the same and the two began to move towards the docking back once more. 

As they neared the doors, Glimmer’s eyes went to the keypad. Of course there was a code to get in. It couldn’t be that easy. 

“Get away from that door!” More guards charged down the hallway like a herd of elephants, the noise and impending force too heavy to balance with their current task. Glimmer fired off a few blasts from her gun and then looked at the keypad. 

“You think one of the guards has a card for this?” Glimmer asked. Catra blasted two more guards without so much as a blink as she responded. 

“That or we’ll just have to shoot the controls.” Catra muttered. Glimmer’s brow furrowed in doubt of Catra’s idea. But she wasn’t entirely sure if the cat girl was joking. It was hard to tell with Catra sometimes. 

Glimmer blasted another guard and lightly set Adora down against the wall to check the guard for any sign of a card. The utility belt they all had was full of additional weapons, comms, and a small data pad. She grunted as she reached the last pouch. She tugged it open and let out a small “Gotcha,” as she pulled out the key card. She stood up and walked right into the barrel of a blaster. 

A gloved hand clamped around her neck. “I have had enough of your impudence, Your Highness.” Glimmer’s widened purple eyes flicked to Horde Prime’s burning green ones. He tightened his grip. But something was causing light to dance around on his pale skin. 

“And we’ve had enough of your hospitality.” The leader didn’t have time to react before he came face to face with the photonic glow of Glimmer’s power. She smacked it into his face, sending him staggering back with a roar of pained rage. Internally Glimmer noted that she was now officially out of power. She didn’t wait for him to recover, grabbing Adora and slapping the guard’s card onto the keypad. It whooshed open and she ran inside, Catra behind her, blasting other guards as they ran. 

“Get them!” Horde Prime raved from where he stood, his normally clear white skin singed by the blast. The three prisoners ran towards the nearest ship, a small patrol cruiser that already had its doors open as a few patrol officers disembarked. 

“Out of our way!” Catra yelled and decked the officers with the butt of her blaster rifle and Glimmer blasted the last one with her own gun. The doors to the ship clanked shut with a low and cool blow of air as the doors clamped shut. 

“Can you fly this thing?” Glimmer asked. Catra dropped into the pilot’s seat. 

“Strap in, Sparkles, we’re about to find out.” The Cat Captain quickly explored the controls as Glimmer took care to make sure that Adora was situated in the small living space in the back of the ship. There was a military grade cot and a thin blanket, not at all to Glimmer’s liking, but it would have to do. As soon as she was sure that Adora was settled, Glimmer made her way back to the front of the ship and sat down in the passenger seat next to Catra. 

The ship rattled almost threw Glimmer from her seat. She looked out the viewport to see that several other ships and guards were firing at the back of their ship. Clearly, they didn’t have a shortage of ships or they’d be more careful with the machinery. It was an issue in Hordak’s Horde, but not for Horde Prime. 

Catra pushed a few buttons and let out a low growl. The screen in front of her spat back error messages about not having authorization to open the main launching doors. “I guess we’re doing this the hard way.” She turned to Glimmer. “Sparkles, blast a hole through the doors.” Glimmer blinked and then toggled the shop’s targeting system. She sucked in a braced breath, took aim at the center of the doors, and fired. The glow emanated from the side gun on the ship and the burn peeled the metal of the doors back like a charred fruit skin. Catra grinned as she geared up the engines. The unsuspecting ships behind took a face full of hot energy as the small patrol ship lurched back and then shot forward, demolishing what was left of the doors. 

As the ship cleared the main ship in Horde Prime’s seemingly infinite fleet, the viewport filled with a sea of tiny warships, cruisers, and then the neck craning monstrosities that were the main starships. Catra and Glimmer stared for a few minutes at the folly that was their short-lived escape. 

“I don’t know why I thought this would work.” Catra seethed. _Of course_ , it was futile, she laughed mirthlessly. Horde Prime was likely laughing his head off inside as he watched the two of them slowly shrink in comparison to his proud forces. The was no comparison between the two of them and Horde Prime. Maybe with Adora they could at least create a diversion. But here and now without her or any sort of substantial weaponry, they were as good as dead. 

Catra looked over at Glimmer who was trying to find a better weapon to fight with, one that likely didn’t exist in a patrol ship. “I think I have an idea.” The cat girl’s brow quirked at Glimmer’s hesitant expression. It wasn’t exactly reassuring. 

“Horde Prime doesn’t know what Beast Island is, if we can get away long enough to jump there, maybe we can throw him off.” Glimmer watched as Catra’s eyes narrowed and then she burst out laughing. 

“Uh…what is so funny?” 

“You, Sparkles. That is the dumbest plan I’ve ever heard.” Catra said, head in her hands as she shook her head. “You think that Horde Prime will let us escape? And that he’d wait for us to get to Beast Island?” 

Glimmer’s purple eyes turned to near slits as she scowled. “I don’t hear you coming up with anything better.” Catra stopped laughing as the truth of Glimmer’s statement hit her. The Cat Captain hated that Glimmer was right. Nothing would make Catra happier than to see Glimmer eat her own words. But that would mean Catra would also have to eat the truth of everything Glimmer had pointed out. All it sounded entirely unappetizing and filled Catra’s mouth with a sour taste. She puckered her lips, sucking back the string of insults and curses that she wanted to spew at the other girl. Normally the Cat girl wouldn’t care one way or another what she said, but right now survival superseded any other visceral instinctive foul words that danced on Catra’s tongue. She tucked them away, hoping that if they lived, she could use them on Glimmer some other time. 

“Fine.” Catra spat. “But we aren’t getting out _this_ any time soon.” She gestured to the fleet that was growing larger in the viewport. Glimmer was already punching some coordinates into the ship’s navigator as she answered. 

“I have a plan for that,” Glimmer said, pausing to look at Catra’s continued look of incredulity. She almost seemed bored by Glimmer’s attempts to plan the impossible. Her legs were now up on the dashboard, narrowly missing hitting some of the controls. 

“Wow, so prepared.” Glimmer’s eyes shut as she bit back the urge to scream at the other girl. Her teeth ground together. So much for not insulting Glimmer. At least Catra felt more comfortable with poking the bear as it were. She watched the pink haired girl’s expression run a complete range of emotions before Glimmer fixed a patient, but strained smile on her face. 

“Okay, I need you to work with me, Catra,” The Queen said flatly. “You won’t get out of here if one or both of us don’t come up with a plan.” 

Catra chuckled. “ _Us_?” She laughed and hissed her words. “There is no _us_. Adora left me. Shadow Weaver never gave a shit. Since when do _you_ care what happens to _me_?” 

Glimmer folded her arms across her chest. She studied Catra. Her words were saturated in righteous anger. Adora had left. But she also had a good reason to. Just as Catra had a good reason not to, at least in theory. The Horde had brainwashed the two girls. One of them realized it and left, the other thought the best way was to surrender to the system that had broken and betrayed them. Of course, a system that was based in fear and lies would eventually crumble. Glimmer wondered briefly if Catra wanted to go back to Horde Prime. Even if he was scary and destructive, that _was_ the type of guardian the Cat Captain had grown up with. She was no stranger to manipulative tactics or harsh judgment. Adora wasn’t either. There were still moments that Adora also found herself unable to break the Horde’s conditioning. 

What if Catra had left? Adora had tried to get Catra to leave so many times. None of them had worked. She seemed so unhappy, but as Glimmer watched the cat girl chew on her claws nervously, she could see that the pendulum of loyalty and allegiance was swaying more fervently than before. No one had earned her trust. Adora had it but lost it. When there wasn’t anyone to trust… Glimmer took a deep breath. Catra was hurting. Nothing could undo what the cat girl had done for the Horde, but the Princesses hadn’t really given Catra a reason to stop fighting for the Horde. 

“You know, Adora never stopped believing in you.” Glimmer started. Catra’s eyes burned as she listened. The contempt was understandable. No one had ever given Catra a reason to feel like she had allies of any kind, let alone friends. “She kept saying she had to go back and get you. She wanted you to leave the Horde because she knew what it had done to her. Even after you tried to destroy Etheria with the portal, I think she still wanted you to be okay deep down.” 

Catra snorted. “Okay? What part of this is okay?” Glimmer sighed. Now she knew what Adora was up against in trying to change her old friend’s mentality. Catra thrived on power and reward. It was a cycle she craved. And it was unraveling her sense of reality. 

“None of it.” Glimmer said plainly. “Look, Catra, I don’t like you. You’ve hurt me, Bow, and practically all of Brightmoon. You almost destroyed Etheria, twice, with your portal. And you tried to kill the only person who actually wanted to help you.” The neutrality in Glimmer’s tone slipped into bitter fury as she glared at Catra, who wilted a little under the stare. She quickly composed herself, but the Queen had noticed. “Adora believed in you. She still does. I think she always will. That’s just who she is.” 

“Adora is an idiot.” Catra’s words were insulting, but her tone wasn’t. On the surface there was Catra’s normal bitterness when it came to Adora. But in the cracks were tiny pieces of something Glimmer couldn’t quite put her finger on. It brushed with a sense of longing and maybe a sliver of affection. Her face hid it, but after spending hours alone with the cat girl, Glimmer could see the mask slipping. Catra was angry, but at what, Glimmer wasn’t even sure, and she didn’t know if Catra could place it either. Glimmer understood being mad. She’d been angry with her mother for so long before it was too late to let go. 

“She _cares_ though.” Glimmer pointed out. Catra looked away. The fight gone from her words and posture. She didn’t respond. It was telling that even Catra, Adora’s nemesis of sorts, couldn’t even argue with that statement. Glimmer’s attention returned to the viewport. 

“If we’re going to do this, we need to create a diversion.” Catra said, her tone returned to its usual Horde Captain business voice. Glimmer knew that this conversation wasn’t over, but she left it for the time being. She started to look through the weapons and other systems on board the ship. There wasn’t much. Her eyes continued to narrow until she landed on what she’d apparently been looking for. 

“Here,” She brought up a layout plan of one of the ship’s emergency signaling system. Glimmer took her turn to raise an eyebrow. 

“An emergency flare? How is that supposed to help us?” 

“Watch.” Catra’s quick typing pulled up a demo simulation that showed the flare going up and then from the side of the screen the other ships were dragged toward it. 

“It’s like an emergency magnet,” Glimmer mused, a little surprised. Catra nodded. 

“When the flare goes up, it overrides the minor ships to respond to the distress call or to go a new target since this is a patrol ship. It’s great when you need to move huge fleets. I imagine Horde Prime wanted his ships to respond immediately to new conquests. But he didn’t think about whether or not someone would use this against him.” 

Glimmer’s brow went up at the smirk on Catra’s face. She genuinely looked thrilled at the idea of messing with Horde Prime. No doubt this was the end of their alliance, but Glimmer was surprised at how quickly Catra had changed her approach. 

“Worth a shot.” Glimmer conceded eventually. Catra took a minute to key in location in the opposite direction for the war ships to go and readied the flare. Two things happened at once. The screen flashed a warning before the flare went up, causing the smaller warships and a few larger ones to be yanked away in a hyperspace warp as if on a string. Then their screen flared with a bright red emergency warning that flooded the ship in a red hue. 

“What just happened?” Glimmer yelled over the sound of the emergency warning blaring in their ears and eyes. Before Catra could formulate a response, the answer floated in front of them. One of the larger cruisers was directly in front of them and from the blaring warning, had a lock on the ship. 

“We need to move!” Catra yelled and threw herself into the pilot’s seat. Glimmer frantically struggled to pull up the targeting system. She fired off a couple rounds, but they petered out. Apparently the flare had used up a lot of the ship’s energy. She cursed. Catra had fired up the ship’s engines and the ship was moving, but not before a bright light blotted out the enemy ship as it prepared to fire. 

“Shitting ration cakes,” Catra muttered as she continued to try to get the ship to move. It shifted enough that the blast grazed across the side, digging into the back of the hull and shaving chunks of metal into space as it continued its conquest into the back of the ship. The laser and heat’s length tore off one of the engines causing the back of the ship to explode. As the blast’s recoil surged through the ship, the cockpit shook violently. The two girls were thrown to the floor as the ship erupted in more blaring emergency alerts and sirens. 

Glimmer’s eyes shot wide as her eyes went to the back. Adora. “Adora!” She was out of her seat, heedless of the sparkling, crackling, and flames that lined the walls now. The Queen coughed as a wave of smoke overwhelmed her senses. Her eyes watered but she continued. As she neared the back, she saw Adora’s form on the floor, some parts of the wall surrounding her. Glimmer sprinted for her friend. 

“Glimmer, get back here!” Catra yelled. “We’ve got company.” Glimmer threw Adora’s arm over her shoulder and staggered back to the cockpit. The fleet was slowly reappearing, having figured out the false alarm. The cruiser wasn’t firing, so maybe Horde Prime had laid down the law there. 

Glimmer’s eyes went from Catra to the viewport. The ship glowed again. “Oh, no.” The blast struck the ship again and they were knocked to the floor. As her eyes reopened, Glimmer saw another glow coming from inside the cockpit and it wasn’t red. Adora’s skin was lit up, the corruption virus lines were crawling up her skin and her eyes were lit up. 

Catra groaned and used the chair to push herself up. Her face was covered with ash and black smudges from the blast and small cuts lined her skin. “We’re getting out of here,” She finished the coordinates from before and hit the navigation button. The cruiser geared up again to fire and the laser’s glow once more blotted out the viewport. 

Glimmer and Catra braced themselves, eyes shut, and then blinked when nothing happened. They both looked at each other and then at the laser as it seemed to just hover as if suspended in time. They looked back at Adora. She was fully glowing, and the ship was slowly starting to look like the crackling blue and red of the portal. 

With a loud bang the navigation went off and they were gone. The laser continued its path but struck nothing but the cold empty air of space. 

\----------------------------------------------------------- 

Glimmer and Catra looked around as the viewport showed the stars, black space, and the ship bending and crackling as it sped through the portal. It then lurched as Adora’s glow sputtered out. Hundreds of multicolored lightning sparks spiraled around them and then with a pop, like a lightbulb going out, she dropped to the floor. 

Once more they were all thrown forward as the ship stopped. The noise of the emergency sirens, red lights, and the smell of the smoke returned instantly. But that all took a second seat to the sight before them. 

Towering in the distance through the viewport was the fast-approaching landscape of a city full of advanced metal buildings all lined with a familiar ancient script. Glimmer was the first to stand up to get a closer look at the scenery. 

“That’s First One’s tech.” Glimmer said, her voice not quite catching up with the disbelief in her mind. As the ship continued its path of descent, the building became clearer. These weren’t ruins. They were complete buildings with expansive small cityscapes stretching to the far ends of the planet. 

Even Catra was at a loss for words. Then the ship blared another warning. “Oh, good.” She said. Glimmer looked up to see what the Cat Captain was talking about. The ship’s landing gear had been blasted to bits. They both strapped into their seats, Glimmer holding Adora tight as the ship met the ground below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


	3. City of the Lost Ones

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra, Glimmer, and Adora crash on a strange planet with a city that looks just like the First Ones' ruins, only it's completely intact. With every encounter more questions are raised and it's unclear if the people here will answer any of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Everyone,
> 
> Thank you once more for your patience with this story. I hit some writer's block with this last chapter but I think I've figured out where I'm going with the upcoming chapters. I've also set up a Discord with chats for both my She-Ra WIPS and Steven Universe WIPS. If you're interested in Beta reading for either one, let me know and I'll drop the link. Or if you're just interested in chatting about She-Ra or SU, I'm happy to link you for that too. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who has left comments, I truly appreciate the feedback and support. It helps me to plow through writer's block knowing that someone is out there wanting to read the random shit that comes out of my head. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

Glimmer’s eyes stung as they tried to brave the heavy smoke and her ears wouldn’t stop ringing from the screeching the ship made as it plummeted towards the ground. She was frozen to the spot, transfixed by the impending impact with the forest below. Trees stood no chance against the weight of the ship as it smashed and splintered the trees into bits. But they did slow the descent enough that as the ship’s nose tilted down to where gravity was pulling it, the ship’s engines now spent entirely. 

She pulled Adora close and as the ship ripped through the canopy of trees below, she wrapped herself around Adora to shield her. Catra was huddled in her chair, her arms up in a bracing position as the ship creaked and then the world around them grew loud with the crunching of metal the ship slammed into the ground. It was then replaced by the roaring of the fire that was making its way through the ship. As the ship settled, Glimmer opened her eyes and looked up. Sweat beaded on her brow from the heat. She took a few labored breaths before refocusing on the form of her best friend in her arms. 

“Adora?” Glimmer murmured, pulling back. When she didn’t hear or feel any response, she unbuckled her seatbelt, wincing as the belt retracted and brushed against her shoulder. She looked over at the source of the pain. A dark splotch of red was seeping through her cape on her shoulder. She’d have to deal with that later. First, she needed to get everyone out of the ship. 

Glimmer’s attention left Adora momentarily to check on Catra. The Cat Captain was still curled in a braced position, but otherwise looked unharmed. 

“Are you okay, Catra?” Glimmer said. The sudden sound of the Queen’s voice brought Catra out of her curled position. Her eyes darted around, as if expecting the whole roof to come crashing down on their heads. Considering their luck and the way the ship had crashed, it was not out of the realm of possibilities. However, the way Catra sniffed, her ears twitching and her back stiffening at every tiny sound, betrayed how rattled she was. It wasn’t a look Glimmer was used to seeing on the Cat Captain. But it gave the Queen some strange comfort knowing that Catra wasn’t invulnerable. She was simply good at hiding how frazzled she could get. From what Adora had shared with Glimmer about the Horde, it wasn’t surprising that Catra didn’t want to appear freaked out or vulnerable. Glimmer’s eyes narrowed as she thought of the blonde. It wasn’t clear how much pain the former Horde soldier hid on a regular basis. But that was an issue for another time. The Queen shook herself from her reverie. 

“What do you _think_?” Catra snapped. Glimmer ignored the vitriol in the other girl’s voice. At this point the anger didn’t even faze the pink haired girl. No amount of snarling or snapping could scare Glimmer more than seeing the portal tear up the world as she knew it. Catra may have opened the portal, but she didn’t swallow up the Whispering Woods and Swift Wind. 

“I _think_ you sound fine.” Glimmer’s tone dripped sarcasm and the amount of doneness with Catra’s harsh posturing. Because that’s all it was here. They were in an unknown forest, their ship was wrecked, and Adora was in bad shape. Catra didn’t have an army to intimidate Glimmer or Adora with, and they only had each other for survival. The cat girl slowly stood, her eyes immediately noticing the hole in the roof of the ship. Through it she could see the canopy of trees, a glowing warm yellow light blotting out the rest of the forest from that view. Catra lifted a hand to shield her eyes. She hadn’t seen something this bright in her life. The Fright Zone was so full of fumes, smoke, and the sky reflected the poison in its sickly green color. Even Brightmoon paled in comparison. 

Glimmer once more slung Adora’s arm over her shoulder and began to make her way towards the emergency hatch. She pushed and then grunted in exertion. Her body was wrung out like an overused dish rag. Her strength ebbed, allowing her to slip and stagger from her hold on the door. 

“Ugh, get out of the way.” Catra muttered, shoving Glimmer aside. The Queen bit back a stream of curses she wanted to throw at the cat girl. She just couldn’t help but be unpleasant. Catra shoved the door with her whole body but it wouldn’t budge. A smirk crept onto Glimmer’s face. She also leaned in and the door gave a low moan and with a puff of dusty ash from the rubble, it swung open. 

Glimmer stepped out first, stepping over a fallen tree branch and onto the ground. Catra followed, her eyes scanning for threats. All around them was forest. Everything flourished and even the edge of the cityscape in the distance seemed to be in harmony with the nature surrounding it. 

They started moving, more on instinct than anything else. It was hard to say where they could go beyond the city. Glimmer paused every couple of minutes to check on Adora. The blonde hadn’t changed since the crash. She was still unconscious, and her breathing was shallow. Catra watched this out of the corner of her eye but remained focused on getting to what appeared to be an entrance to the city. From their place in the forest they could see the towering walls of the city turn to arches, a promising sign of either a long walkway or doors. She didn’t like the fact that they had yet to encounter any other living beings since crashing. No small creatures like the ones in the Whispering Woods or even some birds. _No_ , Catra decided, she did not like this place one bit, thanks. 

She swatted a low hanging branch out of the way, only to have it snap back and smack her in the face. Glimmer stifled a chuckle. It was a little hilarious. Catra glared at Glimmer, who wasn’t trying to hide her smirk at this point. After everything that the Cat Captain had put everyone through by proxy to their connections to Brightmoon, this seemed like a mild form of payback to have Catra hit something so hard it just smacked her right back. Catra’s fur bristled at the smirk still brandished on Glimmer’s lips. The Queen wasn’t even trying to hide her general distaste for Catra. After all, Glimmer had stated her frank opinion of the Cat Captain. Glimmer’s distaste for the other girl still stood. The only reason they were even speaking was because they’d been captured together. 

“I wouldn’t be smiling so much if I were you.” Catra finally decided to quip in response to Glimmer’s continued pleasure at Catra’s surliness. Glimmer ducked under a branch and stepped over a log. 

“Why, because you’re allergic to smiling?” Glimmer replied. Catra’s face contorted as her mind tried to work around the Queen’s quick thinking. 

“ _Because_.” Catra seethed through her teeth, “We don’t know where we are. We don’t know _who_ or _what_ is here. We’re on our own without any form of defense.” Once more Catra smacked a branch out of the way but caught it on the back swing. She trudged forward, her ears flicking around at the slightest crunch of a twig or leaf. Glimmer had to admit that Catra had a point. They were isolated here in this forest, wherever it was. Adora was in bad shape and they had no way to protect themselves. 

Glimmer turned to say something to Catra, but her words caught in her throat as a sharp pain ran up from her leg, causing her to stumble and let go of Adora’s arm. Catra whirled around, the blaster she managed to hold onto in her hand. She fired off a round in the direction of whatever had hit Glimmer, but it left only a burn mark on a tree. She continued to turn in circles as something struck her shoulder. Her ears led her around and she fired. A groan rewarded her, and she bounded off in the direction of the sound. She leapt through the foliage and landed on the chest of a tall figure clad in a thin robe and body armor that covered most of their body. Catra snarled and lifted her claws to strike. 

“Stop!” Catra felt something cold against her neck. She tilted her head to see that Glimmer was on he knees with other armored figures pointing what looked like crossbows at her head. 

“Strike and we’ll kill your companions.” The Horde part of Catra didn’t care one way or another, but the survivalist instincts in her argued she didn’t stand a chance without Adora or Glimmer’s help. Not that the former could help at the moment. Catra let her blaster slide out of her hand to drop on the ground. She felt her hands pulled back and a click told her she was cuffed. 

Adora was picked up to be carried by one of the armored figures while Glimmer and Catra were shoved and marched towards the arches. A loud clanking noise above them drew their eyes to the heavy doors as they lit up with First One’s writing. They slid upwards and away, like the Beacon in the Whispering Woods. The armored figures prodded the prisoners along through the archway and into what appeared to be a dark courtyard. Behind them the doors clanged shut and a blue light fell across them. Glimmer’s eyes went to the light source: a staff held in the hands of a figure with a long graying beard and hard blue eyes. 

“Who are you and why have you come to the Castle of Gray Haven?” The figure asked, thumping their staff on the hard floor. 

“Gray Haven?” Glimmer repeated. She watched as the figure’s brow lifted in thought. 

“Yes,” One of the armored figures said. “The lords of the Gray Haven, of the house of Gray Skull.” 

That did it. Glimmer’s eyes widened and she exclaimed, “Grayskull? As in She-Ra’s Grayskull?” 

The figures all exchanged looks. The figure with the staff stepped over to where Glimmer stood. “You know of She-Ra, Child?” 

“ _Know_ her?” Glimmer smiled, “She’s right here.” The Queen gestured to Adora. Glimmer’s memory reminded her of Huntara’s comment asking if Adora knew She-Ra. The blonde had responded that she _was_ She-Ra. But none of them completely understood who or what She-Ra was. These people or whoever they were, seemed to know something about She-Ra. Many people knew of She-Ra, but the amount of people who could explain who she was slim to none. Glimmer had watched Adora suffer because Light Hope refused to disclose information. The Queen refused to make the same mistake twice. 

The figures exchanged looks at Glimmer’s words. “That is impossible.” The Queen sighed. She wished the still had the sword. At least then she could present it as proof of her statement. 

“It’s not. Adora’s unconscious now, but she has She-Ra’s powers.” Glimmer said. The figure with the staff’s eyes cast down to Adora. 

“It’s true. I’ve seen her use it. She’s incredibly powerful.” Catra added. She carefully omitted the fact that she only knew how powerful She-Ra was because the cat girl had fought the Princess of Power on multiple occasions. Glimmer gave Catra a nod of gratitude. Though Catra didn’t seem to care one way or the other. 

“The last She-Ra disappeared many years ago,” The figure with the staff said slowly. “We chose a successor, but she was taken from us. The She-Ra line has been severed.” 

Glimmer sighed. How could she get them to believe She-Ra was lying before them? “But it hasn’t. She’s alive.” 

The figure paused for a few minutes. He knelt to examine Adora and continually shook his head, disbelief written across his face. With a gentle touch he turned over Adora’s hand and his eyes widened at the sight of the corruption veins that remained on her skin. “This is…” He trailed off and then snapped his gaze up to focus on Glimmer once more. “How long has she been like this?” 

Glimmer swallowed. His tone was concerned but held a small amount of incredulity at her poor judgment that she recognized from how many times she’d been told off by her mother. “A few days?” The pink haired girl wasn’t sure how long it had been since they’d left Brightmoon and Etheria. Her sense of time had vanished as soon as they’d been thrown in Horde Prime’s prison. The figure waved over some of the guards. 

“We must get her to our healers immediately.” Without another word the guards lifted Adora and carried her away. Glimmer made to follow but the bearded figure held out an arm to stop her. 

“Your friend will be taken care of. I ask that you answer some questions for us now.” The figure’s voice was level, not quite hostile, but it was clear that this wasn’t an optional conversation. Both Glimmer and Catra nodded before following the figure down a series of corridors in the opposite direction of where Adora had been taken. Glimmer hated not knowing what was happening with her best friend. But the Queen’s powers were drained, and they were in an unfamiliar place, leaving them at a disadvantage for any kind of fight. At least with Horde Prime they had some weapons at their disposal and some of Glimmer’s last power dregs. Here they had nothing. Catra’s blaster had been taken along with the Queen’s. 

After a while of walking, Glimmer felt the exhaustion and hunger of the last few days crashing in on her body. Catra wasn’t faring any better. She was almost dragging her feet as she walked. Glimmer’s eyes left the cat girl to watch the figure with the staff. This person, whoever they were, recognized the corruption lines. Which meant this wasn’t the first time She-Ra had been corrupted. If she came away with nothing else, Glimmer swore to herself that she would find out what this figure knew about the corruption. 

They reached a double set of doors and the figure lifted their staff and tapped it against the carved pattern that contained First Ones writing like the rest of the city. The corridors were surprisingly simple in design. They weren’t plain gray with a refined advanced tech appearance like Horde Prime’s ships, but rather were full of colors interweaved with the First Ones writing as if in a tapestry built into the walls. As they passed each section, the walls would illuminate to light their path through the corridors. 

Some of the walls had murals or stained-glass paintings but made from the same crystals that Glimmer had seen in the Crystal Castle Beacon. The halls contained endless doors. Each had a different First Ones writing on it. She wondered if they were the names of whoever lived there. 

“Excuse me,” Glimmer said. Catra shot the other girl a warning look but Glimmer ignored the Horde Captain. The lack of information was driving the Queen up a wall. “Can I ask a question?” Catra’s mind immediately responded with _You already did._ But held her tongue to assess their current threat level. This figure didn’t seem to have an agenda, but then again, they hadn’t said much of anything since the crash. 

The figure didn’t turn to look at Glimmer but inclined their head to indicate Glimmer could continue. With a deep breath the Queen took the plunge. She wasn’t sure if the figure would provide any context to what was going on or why this planet was full of First Ones’ technology and seemed to be populated. If the First Ones were still around, why had they fled to Earth? None of it was adding up in Glimmer’s mind and she was sure that Adora would be equally vexed when she regained consciousness. As things stood, Glimmer wanted to start gathering information before Adora woke. 

“What exactly is this city?” The Queen started. “I mean, I know you’re First Ones, like Adora, but what does that mean?” Catra stared at Glimmer, a somewhat exasperated expression on the cat girl’s face as if to say, “You asked the important question, but you asked it in the _stupidest_ way possible.” An eyeroll and click of the Cat Captain’s tongue confirmed for Glimmer just how over the current situation Catra was. However, Glimmer didn’t comment on it, her eyes momentarily distracted by the sting she felt from her shoulder. Oh, right. In the chaos of being rounded up and taken into the city, the purple haired girl had forgotten about her injury. Now it was sending sharp waves of pain through her body. 

It was obvious enough that the figure noticed the small winces and ginger treatment of her body. “I do not know what First Ones are, but this city has been here for centuries.” A pause followed. “If your friend is She-Ra, as you claim, then it means that I have failed as a guardian.” Glimmer’s eyes widened as if comprehending the words, then narrowed again in confusion. More information was given without actual clarification. Glimmer caught Catra’s surly expression. The Queen shrugged as if to indicate she too was annoyed by vagueness of the figure’s answers. It was a good thing that quitting was not in Glimmer’s nature. 

She jabbed a finger in the figure’s face as they finally turned around. “Look, you took my friend away and I want to know why. You know who She-Ra is and not in the same way most people do through stories, I can tell. So, what are you hiding from us?” Catra blinked in surprise, Glimmer’s directness wasn’t what the former Horde Captain had anticipated from the Queen. Though, as Catra was quickly learning, the Queen was a different person entirely from the random, upbeat, and reckless girl who used to throw wrenches in Catra’s plans simply by being spontaneous. Now Glimmer planned things out, she knew how to use magic that could compel someone to tell the truth and wasn’t above manipulating her own friends. 

In lieu of an answer, the figure tapped the doors once more and letters glowed, opening them to a small chamber with a few beds, one bedside table per every bed, and a simple couch that looked far too stiff for Glimmer’s taste. “All your questions will be answered in due time.” Glimmer’s lip twitched and she lifted her hand to make another jab, but her shoulder cut her off with a sharp throb. “For now, please make yourselves comfortable. I will have our healer look at your shoulder.” 

Glimmer watched, stunned to silence, as the figure exited. Once again, she and Catra were alone together. It was getting to be an irritating pattern that Glimmer hoped to break soon. She was still standing and staring at the now closed door when a low thump announced that Catra had decided to lounge on the couch. Glimmer whipped around. 

“How can you lie around in a time like this? We should be trying to get Adora and some answers.” Glimmer pushed against the door. It slid open but she found herself looking at two identical hallways in either direction. Sighing, Glimmer retreated, and the doors closed of their own accord. They weren’t prisoners. That much was clear from the fact that the doors had opened for them and there wasn’t a guard or soldier in sight. But the eerie silence and lack of explanation was eating away at Glimmer’s thinly veiled barrier of calm. Escaping from Horde Prime had been a fluke, she knew that. There was no reason why they should have succeeded. Landing on this planet on the other hand, was a kind of strange that Glimmer wasn’t prepared for. A quick glance at Catra told the Queen that Catra was also uneasy. While Catra feigned a cool exterior, she was still fidgety when she thought Glimmer wasn’t looking. 

After stewing for a few minutes Glimmer made her way to one of the beds. She wasn’t going to fit on the couch after Catra had sprawled herself across it and the purple haired girl wasn’t interested in staying closer to the cat girl than was necessary. As soon Glimmer felt the mattress depress around her sore body her eyes felt heavy. She’d been fighting the exhaustion that hadn’t ebbed since they were abducted from Brightmoon. It certainly didn’t help that she’d been away from the Runestone for longer than was safe, even for the Queen. She could hold more power than before, but it also worked in reverse that if she were drained of that enormous reserve. Especially after taking on so much energy, the trade-off was having a massive Queen-sized power drain hangover to contend with. She massaged her temples. Her head hurt, her shoulder hurt, her mind was restlessly flitting between worrying about Adora and wondering how they were going to get back to Brightmoon to stop Horde Prime. Maybe if he were still looking for Glimmer and Catra he wouldn’t attack Brightmoon right away? The thought was deceptively comforting. Yeah right, she chided herself. Horde Prime has a fleet that could wipe Etheria out and then some. 

It wasn’t long before her thoughts turned to stray words and then dissipated as she let sleep claim her. 

\----------------------------------- 

> Glimmer blearily blinked the sleep from her eyes. She furrowed her brow as she took in her surroundings. She was staring at her room, in Brightmoon. That wasn’t right. But she pressed her hand into her bed. It felt solid. She concentrated and with a burst of sparkles she was on the floor. 
> 
> Her powers had run out. Where was this power coming from? She touched her shoulder. When her fingers drew back, they were free of the blood she expected to find there. A chill ran through her and she rushed to the door. A frantic tug brought Glimmer face to face with her mother. 
> 
> “Glimmer, I was about to come get you.” Angella smiled. “Your father is waiting for you to begin training today.” Glimmer blinked. 
> 
> “What?” Glimmer repeated. “Dad? Dad’s dead.” She bit her lip as tears stung her eyes. “And so are you. How are you _here_? How am I here? I’m not here. I shouldn’t be here.” The purple haired girl’s words tumbled out in rapid succession, slowly causing Angella to grow more concerned as her daughter now began to pace. 
> 
> Angella looked around. “Here? Are you quite alright, Glimmer?” She leaned over to feel Glimmer’s forehead, but the girl stepped back. This was familiar. She couldn’t put her finger on why. 
> 
> “No, no, this isn’t right.” Glimmer stamped her foot. “Can’t you see this isn’t real?” Angella frowned. She glanced around to see anything amiss but came up empty handed. There was a moment between the two as Angella processed her daughter’s words. 
> 
> “And why wouldn’t it be real?” The former Queen asked plainly. There wasn’t any malice or sense of doubt in her voice. It was quiet, resigned, as if the former Queen already knew the truth. 
> 
> “Because…” Glimmer said, licking her lips. “This is how I want it to be. But…this isn’t how it is.” 
> 
> “Angie? Glimmer?” Glimmer’s eyes went to the dark-haired man standing in the hallway. “What’s taking so long? I thought you were going to meet me outside?” He came to stand next to Glimmer, setting his hand on her shoulder. 
> 
> The younger Queen sighed, her fingers brushing her father’s off her shoulder and holding them desperately for a moment before letting go. Her eyes were tired from trying so hard not to cry. She could feel her father’s hand, she could feel her mother next to her, but it was all so unbelievable. The reason flitted around her mind like a butterfly, only settling every so often to remind her that it existed, but only just for a moment before it escaped again. 
> 
> “Where’s Adora, Mom?” Glimmer asked. 
> 
> “Who?” Both Micah and Angella asked at the same time. Glimmer’s mind reeled. Who was Adora? This had to be a bad joke. Or maybe it wasn’t. Who was Adora really? 
> 
> “Adora, my best friend, my…” Glimmer shook her head. “She-Ra! She’s She-Ra! You know, the sword wielding hero you’ve been fighting with?” 
> 
> Angella and Micah exchanged worried looks. “Um, Glimmer. She-Ra hasn’t existed for thousands of years. And this Adora person… we don’t know anyone like that.” Micah said gently. “But we can look for her if it would make you feel better.” 
> 
> Glimmer continued to shake her head. “No, no. She has to exist…she has to! How has Brightmoon defended itself against the Horde without her?” There was another long silence as the two sovereigns whispered together. Glimmer’s anxiety continued to grow with every passing minute. Every moment she spent here she was losing track of who she was supposed to be looking for. Who… was she looking for? 
> 
> “Glimmer, maybe you should rest.” Micah said finally. Glimmer’s eyes lifted to meet her father’s face. It had been so long since she had been able to look at him. He was more like Glimmer than Angella was physically. Both the younger Queen and the King were short in statue but strong in personality. He had wavy hair that matched Glimmer’s in all but color. It was hard to not want to emulate him now that he was standing before her. 
> 
> “And recharge.” Angella added firmly. Glimmer’s objections were bouncing off a wall of denial at this point. She couldn’t get through to her parents. No amount of arguing could convince them that they weren’t here, that this wasn’t real. Despite her best efforts, Glimmer couldn’t place why she felt this was fabricated but her eyes went to the flashes of white out the window of the Castle. Her mind cleared. 
> 
> “This world is falling apart and the only one who could stop it was you.” Glimmer stated, the pieces finally snapping into place. Her eyes stung with the tears she knew were probably the only real thing existing in this reality. “You died. You gave up your life so Adora could be with us.” 
> 
> The outside flickered once more. Glimmer sighed. “Look, I can’t stay. I have to help save the world I belong to. Not the one I wish were true.” 
> 
> Her mother’s image flickered. “So, you _do_ wish for a world with both your parents.” Glimmer frowned as the Castle vanished entirely. She whipped around, her eyes searching for the flickering of the crumbling world like the last time the portal had opened. But she saw nothing but empty blackness. 
> 
> “Who are you?” Glimmer yelled. Silence answered her. “Hey! What is going on?” She started walking, her fists clenching and willing her powers to work. Her fingers twitched and little empty sputters were all that she could muster. Whatever the world she’d just been in was, it allowed her to use her powers. It was nice. But now she couldn’t use them at all. 
> 
> A glow light appeared in front of the Queen. It twisted and morphed into the form of Angella and then Micah. “Who do you want me to be?” Glimmer jawed. “What…?” The form dissipated and remained a formless glowing mass. As much as she’d felt overjoyed to see her parents, it was overshadowed by a strange feeling she’d had. At first it seemed like the one when she figured out what the portal was doing to her perception of reality. “Who you really are.” Glimmer said. “Stop trying to trick me.” 
> 
> The light flickered and spread across the empty blackness. “I cannot trick you. All that you see here is of your own making.” Glimmer’s eyes went to her fingers once more. They now began to glow, sparkling, she moved, disappearing, and reappearing in a burst of sparkles. 
> 
> “What do you want, Glimmer?” The glow asked once more. Glimmer clenched her fist and glared right through the glowing mass. 
> 
> “I want…” She growled through her teeth. “MY ADORA BACK!!!” She raised her fist and a massive sparkling glow that dwarfed the glowing mass in front of her by at least four sizes grew from Glimmer’s fists. A low below ripped through her body as she shot a blast that melted the blackness into nothing, fizzling and fading it away. 

As her eyes opened, she found herself looking at the plain room she had been in with Catra. It was the same, only she noticed a huge hole in the wall, the parts where the First One’s magic writing had been was now crackling and sparking intermittently as bits of the wall fell with the occasional thunk to the floor. 

Glimmer rubbed her eyes and found Catra had backed herself up the far wall opposite where the hole was. The fur on the back of her neck was raised and her ears twitched intensely with her tail. Was Catra scared? There was no other explanation for the way the Cat Captain was acting. Glimmer’s attention returned to the wall. It didn’t seem possible, but had she done that? The Queen looked down at her fingers. They were still glowing. 

“Did I do that?” Glimmer asked, not quite to herself and not entirely to Catra. The cat girl was breathing heavily as she looked at the other girl in utter disbelief. She straightened and waved a hand at the wall. Catra hadn’t seen something that destructive since Emily had blown a hole in the wall after her introduction by Entrapta. It was unnerving to say the least. Because Catra knew that Glimmer didn’t like the Horde Captain. The one thing Catra knew was working in her favor now was that she was on the same footing as Glimmer. But now Glimmer had some bizarre power boost out of nowhere. Were all the princesses this ridiculous? Catra knew Adora had a lot power. Most of it was untapped, thankfully for the Horde, but Sparkles? That was a surprise. 

“Uh, yeah. Who do you think did it?” Catra bit. Before Glimmer could say anything more, the doors opened. The figure had returned with another, presumably the healer. They took one look at the wall and then at Glimmer. 

“What happened here?” The Figure demanded. Glimmer froze, her mind fumbling for the words to explain what had happened. But she found none. She thought about the vision she’d had. It was so specific. There had to be a reason for it. 

“I think your world is falling apart.” Glimmer offered after a minute. The figure paused for a second and shifted their staff from one hand to another. “I saw something just now when I was sleeping. It was another reality… I don’t know if that makes any sense.” Catra followed the exchange with a wary distance. 

The figure sighed. “I was going to wait until Adora woke up to talk to you. But I think, given what you’ve been through, you should know the full truth of what happened the day Adora was taken from us.” 

Glimmer’s eyes widened. “So, you did know it was her!” 

The figure nodded, looking away. “Yes, and it was I who tried to erase her from your memory just now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	4. Remembering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glimmer and Catra confront this stranger who seems to know more about the First Ones than either of them do. Meanwhile Catra has to contend with her past and decide if she can truly reconcile what she wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey All!
> 
> This chapter ended up being a lot longer than I planned, but I think that's a good thing in the long run. 
> 
> So, a few notes need to be covered before you read this chapter:
> 
> I want to issue a content warning for some blood/violence in the chapter. It does get a little graphic. There is also a lot of swearing (which will be a thing from now on with the "M" rating). There is also exploration of child soldier stuff in relation to Catra and Adora's past in this chapter as well. So please take care of yourselves. 
> 
> I finally caved and watched Season 5. Up until this point none of my prior chapters or fics were influenced by Season 5. I was planning to wait until after I got a little further to watch it, but a friend convinced me that whatever I had planned would stay the same if I wanted it to so I watched it. 
> 
> What does that mean for future chapters? It doesn't change a huge amount of what I had planned, however, there will be some minor plot points that I plan to line up with Season 5 and you'll see what they are as the story progresses. Some of it is planted in this chapter and will continue to be explored as this story continues. 
> 
> One of the main things I had already planned to explore and felt was left a little unfinished by the Season 5 finale was Catra's development arc. She did have some changes happen but I felt like Season 5 did not fully address some of the toxic behavior Catra showed towards Adora, which is why I honestly don't ship Catradora. I have nothing against Catradora shippers and I honestly thought the end of the show was super cute. But from a storytelling standpoint, I thought the were a lot of things left unanswered. Like Adora's past was somewhat answered and I wanted to learn more about the First Ones. I also felt that if Catradora was the direction, I wanted there to be more of an address of their relationship so they could reconcile. The ending didn't really fully explore it, so I'm beginning to address that in this chapter (even though this is a Glimmadora fic, I still think fully realizing character arcs and relationships is important). 
> 
> That said, this fic will continue with its exploration of time travel/portal stuff, lots of Glimmadora fluff in future chapters, and plenty of adventure. 
> 
> Any feedback and comments on what you think is working/not working or if there's a particular plot or character thing you'd like me to play around with, let me know. I'm always open to new ideas. Or if you have another fic you'd like for me to do after this, let me know. I do plan to do one about Bow's Dads and how they met at some point because my best friend loves them a lot. 
> 
> Thanks for sticking around for the lengthy author's note. I appreciate your comments and kudos so far. Thanks for reading!

Catra heard her name. It repeated like a distant metronome, ticking, and beating against her mind to remind her to keep going. She had clung onto every aspect of her life by a thin string she could hardly call an adequate lifeline. No one could be trusted to be that. Maybe once, she had someone who had been that for her. For the life of her, she couldn’t place who it was. 

As she walked through the Fright Zone, it was quiet. This feeling, this pristine world, it had no edge to it. Everything she’d known or thought she’d known the Fright Zone to be was absent. Living in the Fright Zone was about survival. 

Her ears twitched to the creak of the floor, the squeak of the doors that were past needing oiling, and the grinding croak of the bed springs of her cot as she sat on it. She memorized known sounds so she could react to the unknown. For many years it had worked. 

Without any preparation she could show up to training and finish off opponents even her teammates couldn’t see coming before they knew she was even there. Not even… not even the Force Captains could predict what Catra could. 

_I’m not going back. Not after what I’ve seen._

Someone had pleaded with her once. Who, Catra didn’t know. It wasn’t relevant to her mission. To her training. All that mattered was she was a Force Captain, she was rising in the ranks, Hordak trusted her. 

“Catra!” The Cat Captain turned to face the towering form of Scorpia. “Hey, glad I caught you, Hordak just gave us our latest mission and you’re gonna love it. Oh, I can’t wait.” Catra sighed. Of course, Scorpia would get excited over a mission, she always did have a way of looking at things from a bright angle. Catra usually didn’t like it. There was no room for enthusiasm when it came to fighting. But for some reason she couldn’t find it in herself now to correct the Scorpian Captain. 

“Right.” Catra said plainly, moving past the other Captain. She looked around. Her eyes caught the sliver of white in the distance of the sickly green air around the Fright Zone. That was strange. Catra sniffed. 

“Where is… there’s someone missing. We need her for the mission.” Catra said absently. Scorpia frowned, glancing around as if looking to see if anyone had noticed the Cat Captain’s off character muttering. 

“Uh, Catra, are you okay? Do you need something? I think dehydration can cause memory problems or something. Oh! I can get you some water.” Catra sighed at Scorpia’s ramblings. She wasn’t helping with Catra’s focus. A lingering spark flitted around the cat girl’s mind, avoiding clarification. The fragmented bursts of concentration pounced and smacked at the spark, trying to pin it down. But to no avail. Catra sniffed. The air smelled… fresh. The Fright Zone wasn’t fresh. The air was polluted, full of the noxious substances that Hordak had them pour into the ground to fuel the Fright Zone’s operations. Of all the ways to describe the way the Fright Zone smelled, Catra would have gone with humid rotting, sulfuric or metallic fumes blowing in and out, and stale. The stale smell was strongest in the dorms where the cadets slept. There was air filtering, so no one died, but there wasn’t any air conditioning or cooling units. So, sleeping with a blanket was rare. Nothing could keep the smell away for long. 

A clear scent wafted through Catra’s nostrils. It carried life in it, pure air, and a mix of other smells that had nothing to do with the Fright Zone. The Cat Captain’s eyes darted to the window. She had an image in her head of the world falling apart. The ground crumbled beneath her. Someone pulled her along and put her on a Skipper. Scorpia would have done it. A cursory examination of the Scorpian Captain told Catra it wasn’t the half scorpion girl who had tried to save Catra. With a low growl Catra took off down the hall. 

“Catra, wait!” 

The scorpion captain caught up with her, breathing heavily. “Once again, whew. You are fast, Wildcat.” Scorpia smiled. “No one can keep up with you.” 

Catra felt a cold pain run through her. “Then don’t bother.” She snarled. Internally she said, _Maybe that’s a good thing_. Scorpia continued to smile though. After a few minutes it started to feel strange. Even for the Scorpian Princess, this much smiling wasn’t normal. Catra sniffed. Scorpia smelled right, but her skin crawled at the sight of that endless smile. No one had any right being that happy. 

Catra started walking away, then running, and before she knew it, she was on the far end of the Fright Zone. She glanced around. Everyone she passed seemed to know who she was. She frowned. She backtracked and stopped in front of Hordak’s sanctum. The doors opened. 

Hordak stepped out. “Force Captain Catra, why are you here?” Catra started to respond when she saw his eyes flickered between red and green. She blinked and they had settled on red. What was going on? The hair on her skin tingled, her tail twitched, and she couldn’t stand the smell of Hordak. He had always had a sour smell. This time he smelled stale. His scent had become flattened and dry as though he’d been reduced to his bare components. No individual olfactory strands flittered through her nostrils. Had he upgraded his technology? 

“I’m reporting for duty, Lord Hordak,” Catra replied. The pale leader’s eyes narrowed further than his natural slits, almost reducing his vision entirely. 

“Your _duty_ is to command elsewhere.” Hordak stated. “Now get out of my sight.” Her eyes focused on the open doorway, scanning the room just past the stoic overlord’s broad shoulders. The room appeared the same as she remembered it: tubes, technology, and the nauseating green color tinting everything. She sighed. _Or I’m just making things up._

“Leave!” Hordak bellowed. His form shook, vibrating, breaking into small pixelated sections and then reformed. 

“What are you hiding?” Catra replied. 

“You have everything you wanted. Now return to your command.” Catra’s mouth twitched. Since when had Hordak ever cared about what she wanted? He didn’t care about the needs or wants of anyone in his army. Especially not Catra. She may have been blinded by his brainwashing, but she wasn’t oblivious. She knew now that he cared for nothing and only himself. Maybe for a second he cared about Entrapta, but she was gone. 

Catra let out a long series of cackles. She rested her head in her hand. _Nothing_ ever went how she wanted it to. For a while it felt like she had the respect and acknowledgement she wanted. Hordak had made her his second in command. But he’d turned on her. All because of someone interfering. It was Entrapta-no-not just Entrapta. Catra chewed on her nail. Every few minutes something ran along her fur, seeming to brush it the wrong way. 

“Hey, Wildcat.” Catra whirled around to look at Scorpia as she jogged up. “We’re waiting for you.” 

Catra blinked. “What?” She glanced around. Horde soldiers stood amassed in the hallway. 

“Yeah, Catra, we can’t do this without you.” Lonnie said, also grinning. Catra’s eyes went to the sanctum once more. There in the corner was a flickering of dark purple tendrils. Shadow Weaver? The tendrils then shifted color to a bright yellow color. No, Shadow Weaver only used dark magic. Catra had been on the receiving end enough times to know what it looked like. The sorceress had hurt a lot of trainees in punishment of their failures. But Catra in particular had been a target of the dark sorceress’s wrath. It only seemed like she could shine when… 

“Lies!” Catra barked. “You’re all just waiting for Adora to come back! Well, guess what?” Catra slammed her fist against the wall. “She’s not!” 

The Fright Zone pixelated and then seemed to trickle away like water from a windowpane, leaving the room in the First Ones’ castle behind. Catra backed away from where the sanctum once was. As she backed away she saw Glimmer sit up. 

“Give me back my Adora!” The pink haired Queen screamed. With a yelp, Catra dove under her bed and covered her head. With a yell Glimmer unleashed a huge blast of sparkling energy on the wall, completely disintegrating it into rubble. 

She found herself staring, no, glaring with every ounce of anger she’d pent up over the last fifteen to sixteen years of her life at this stranger. This stranger had tried to alter Glimmer’s memory. Catra’s eyes set in cold regard of this bearded stranger. That’s just what had happened to her. Her memory flashed with the image of Shadow Weaver as she attempted to wipe Adora’s mind. Catra was furious at Adora. She’d abandoned Catra. The two of them had everything together. They had been there for one another when the world was against them. If there was any doubt or distrust, they could always count on each other. 

_“You have my back. I’ll have yours. We’ll always have each other.”_

Adora promised. But she was a liar. Liars were everywhere. No one told the truth about themselves or the past. Least of all Adora. Catra’s mismatched eyes darted around the room. This stranger was a liar. Trust was a feeble and fragile tool overused by pure hearted idiots. Adora was all those things and then some. She believed in the better parts of others. It had always been her biggest issue in combat. She would sooner trust an enemy and hesitate than presume the worst to take them down. So why- why, why, was it so hard to just let her mind be reset? At least then Adora wouldn’t have left the Horde. That was one truth to Shadow Weaver’s demented logic. 

But she wouldn’t be Adora. Catra set her teeth on edge, grinding them, and then clenching them in an endless cycle. She hated Adora. Wiping those stupid pure ideals away would mean Adora would have kept her promise. Instead she just forgot Catra had existed. 

“What do you mean you tried to erase her from my memory?” Catra heard Glimmer’s livid tone before she saw the sparks coming from the Queen’s hands. 

“It is my sworn duty to see to it that She Ra completes her mission.” The staffed stranger stated. Glimmer’s lip twitched. Even Catra could see the Queen was two wrong words away from blasting this moron’s face off. Part of Catra wanted to see Glimmer do it. As far as the Cat Captain was concerned, the pink haired girl had proven she had more power stored than she realized. It was both comforting, as Glimmer was on Catra’s side for the moment, and unsettling. Catra made a mental note to not get on Glimmer’s bad side. All this time she’d thought the Queen was all sparkly fun and parties, but it was clear now that the Queen had a deep power that could destroy anyone who dared cross her. 

_Just like Adora._ Air stuck in the cat girl’s throat. 

> Adora stumbled backwards, falling on her back with a yell. Above her stood one of the older cadets, sparring stick in hand. “Why do they make us practice with these kids?” One of the senior cadets muttered. 
> 
> “They’re so weak.” The stick came down again and Adora let out a scream. It struck hard on every opening, pulling a yell and squishing noise as the stick broke skin. Another strike and a crack shook Adora to her core. The older cadet stepped back with a derisive snort of laughter. 
> 
> “ _This_ is what they’re training to be a soldier?” The stick dipped under Adora’s chin, pushing it up. Her battered, bruised, and bleeding face stared up at the older cadet. Tears had sprung unwillingly from her eyes. “Pathetic.” 
> 
> Adora sniffed. Her mouth hung open; her missing teeth visible. She hadn’t even grown all her adult teeth and this cadet was going to knock them out before she could grow up. Her eyes stared up, the hovering, the leering, the cold laughter, closing in around her. Her fingers stung. They were probably broken or at least sprained. She let out a low cough. The older cadet turned for a fraction of a second. Adora clenched her stick and leapt up, smashing the stick down into where she knew the older cadet’s clavicle would be under the training vest. 
> 
> The other cadets stood stock still as the older cadet’s body smacked into the ground, stunned by the sudden retaliation. Adora’s legs could barely hold her weight and her gear at age six. 
> 
> But she met the eyes of her opponents. She stood her ground. Because if she didn’t, she would be beaten into oblivion. Anyone who wasn’t strong enough was destined to be erased from the Horde. Anyone who wasn’t useful wouldn’t matter. She had to make herself matter. Crying wasn’t an option. Pain was inevitable. There was no place for being a child. Childhood was a luxury and she had to be a useful soldier. 

“You don’t get to decide that.” Glimmer said. Catra followed the pink haired girl’s eyes as they bore into the stranger. Up until now, Catra didn’t think the Queen had ever felt what it was like to suffer daily, to not know what would happen if you failed, and to know the worst kinds of desperation. Glimmer was a princess. Princesses grew up in splendor and never had to want for a thing. 

Adora was a soldier. Princesses weren’t soldiers. Soldiers fought complete missions. Princesses idled while soldiers died. How could she be a Princess? Catra still couldn’t stand the tiara, the white dress, and the gaudiness of the look. It conflicted with the fact that Adora had spent her life waiting to be struck, snapping, and reacting to each attempt to break her guard. Now, she was weak. In the Horde distractions, such as emotions, were discouraged. 

_“I’ve got your back.”_

Catra bit down hard on her lip, drawing blood. “You don’t get to decide that.” She heard herself say. All eyes fixated on the cat girl in the back corner as she stood from where she’d taken cover. 

“As Guardian, I do.” The stranger replied plainly, unperturbed by Catra’s outburst. Glimmer on the other hand kept her eyes on the cat girl. Her stance was slipping towards offensive, her hands balled into fists. But she was watching Catra. If the Queen thought Catra was going to do something to compromise their situation, she didn’t seem particularly concerned. Rather, the way her eyes rested on Catra made the cat girl wonder if she was giving her silent approval for the Horde Captain to continue. Queen Glimmer was diplomatic by nature, or at least, that’s what others expected. She was a commander and a diplomat. But she didn’t have the luxury to stand by and watch others die any longer. Horde Prime wasn’t going to negotiate. Their situation called for soldiers who were willing to act at a second’s notice. 

Catra laughed and the stranger’s neutral expression shifted slightly. “Guardian? That’s a nice word. And where were you when Adora was suffering for the past _fifteen_ years?” Glimmer flinched at the words. She hadn’t been there for Adora back then. All this time, she’d prided herself on being one of the blonde girl’s closest confidants. Adora relied on Glimmer heavily to calm the nightmares that dogged the warrior girl. As Glimmer watched Catra confront the stranger, there were so many punctuated words, riddled holes that the Horde had driven through the protective sheet that had once served as the blanket covering the two young girls. They’d been swaddled and then born bare to the punishments of being child soldiers. The blanket ripped away and they crawled, walked, and then ran headfirst into death. It was welcomed and expected. If they died before their mission, it was shameful. Dying was considered bad. Not because they would be missed, but because death was equivalent to failure. Failure in any form was not useful to the Horde. 

_“Weakness is discouraged in the Horde.”_

“Why is this any different?” Catra continued, looking down and away. Glimmer’s fingers tightened around her tattered cloak. The cat girl’s voice vibrated. “Why is how you treat Adora any different than how the Horde did?!” 

The stranger’s eyes widened but didn’t seem to register how enraged Catra was. The lack of response would have cooled most or at least given pause to another. But for Catra, she was steeped in the scents of her memories. The staleness of the Horde. Even with the help of her friends in Bright Moon, Adora was still aversive to affection in many forms. She didn’t know how to deal with it. 

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about,” The Guardian said slowly. “This Horde… it is the same as the army of Horde Prime?” 

“No. The Horde is on Etheria.” Glimmer put in. The Guardian’s eyes snapped to attention as Glimmer lingered on the word “Etheria.” With a curt nod to another attendant, the Guardian returned their attention to the two women. “It’s led by someone else. But I think the leader was created by Horde Prime. It’s one of his clones.” 

The Guardian’s face darkened, shaking with disbelief. “That’s impossible. Horde Prime’s clones are never far from his control. If he has a clone on Etheria it is only a matter of time before it falls to him.” 

Catra’s eyes bore into the Guardian. “You seem to know a lot about Horde Prime and Adora. How are we supposed to trust you don’t work for _him_?” 

_“How do you know you can trust me?”_

_“I don’t. But I hope I can. I feel like… maybe… you’re here to help us?”_

Throughout her life, Glimmer had seen many people hurt each other. She’d seen the Horde ravage entire towns in the name of “peace”. Never in her life had she seen or heard such hypocrisy. But the Horde was rife with it. Especially after Adora defected, Glimmer had learned that those within the Horde believed in its lies more than anyone else. Or maybe some were drawn to the power, like Catra. As far as Adora had described her former Horde ally, the cat girl didn’t want that at first. Few people did. But Glimmer watched, mostly through Adora’s tears and fears as Catra betrayed everything that Adora thought the two believed in. Nothing had been more important than their bond and taking care of each other. 

Now, with Horde Prime on Etheria’s doorstep, it was hard to say on whose side the Cat Captain truly resided. If Adora were here, she’d want to tell Glimmer Catra still had good in her. Glimmer trusted Adora more than anyone, except maybe Bow. But the Queen didn’t trust that Adora could see past her own ideals. Nor could she see that enormous heart of hers that Glimmer was sure she was falling in love with more and more as time went by. It was hard to not love the way Adora saw the world. From the way she was enthralled by simple pleasures like foods when she first left the Horde, to the value she placed in her friends. 

The Guardian didn’t respond immediately to Catra’s query, resulting in her claws sliding out. She was itching for a fight. Just one wrong word and she’d be at the throat of this stranger who had taken Adora away. Catra didn’t like the fact that they were in the dark once more when it came to Adora. More and more it felt like she didn’t know Adora at all. 

“Answer me!” 

> Adora staggered backwards. Sweat stained her clothes as she ducked, weaved, and swung her staff to collide with the training vest of another cadet. They all dropped like flies around her. She paused for a second as a sharp pain caused her to lose her balance. That was all it took for a stick to sweep her off her feet and slam her into the ground. A thwacking noise winded her as the winning blow was struck. She stared up at her opponent. The reptile looked like Rogelio, but he hadn’t stuck around for the sparring sessions after their normal training ended. Adora sighed and pushed herself up. 
> 
> “Again.” Three more times and she found herself on her back. Her ankle throbbed, burned, and screamed at her. If it could speak, it would tell her to rest and maybe never walk again. But she ignored it. The only word in her head she could remember was “again.” She couldn’t stop. She wouldn’t stop. If she so much as considered it out in the real world, she’d be dead. No one gave mercy in the Horde because the Captains and instructors knew that the real world had none. 
> 
> It was night by the time Adora dragged her body to the dorm room she shared with her fellow cadets. She barely made it to the bed before her ankle gave out on her. A low hiss slipped through her teeth. 
> 
> __
> 
> “And I thought I was the cat.” Adora’s eyes opened to find two mismatched glowing eyes staring back at her through the darkness. “That was a nice hiss though.” 
> 
> Leave it to Catra to only offer a compliment when it could possibly be construed as an insult. “I thought you’d be asleep. You said you were too tired to do extra training.” 
> 
> Catra blew a loose bang from her face. “I say a lot of things.” Her tail flicked, brushing Adora’s ankle. Another hiss came through and Adora’s body convulsed. 
> 
> “Did you just _let_ them hit you?” Catra asked incredulously. Adora reopened her eyes, glaring up at the cat girl. 
> 
> “Of course I didn’t.” The blonde said, frowning. “But I also wasn’t about to stop just because I got hurt. If this were a real fight, I’d be dead if I stopped.” Catra’s eyes combed over the other girl. She was in a lot of pain, practically every other breath was sucked in through her teeth, and she was still trying to talk as if it wasn’t a problem. It was two parts admirable and half incredibly stupid. 
> 
> “See,” Catra said slowly, “Your problem is you care too much. About everything. You have to wait and watch for your moment. If you waste energy wildly fighting, you’ll just end up dead.” 
> 
> Adora continued to frown at her friend but kept an even tone. No matter how much Catra seemed to be criticizing Adora, it was never malicious. “Uh-huh.” The blonde said, skepticism drenching her words to the core. “I show up though. Catra, you don’t even show up for training. If we don’t train, we won’t be prepared.” 
> 
> Catra laughed. “Are you seriously worried about me?” She snorted. “Yeesh, don’t get all soft on me, Adora. I can handle myself.” A pause followed. “I’d be more worried about _you_ in a fight.” 
> 
> Adora blinked. “What? _Me_? Why?” 
> 
> The cat girl sighed, flicking Adora’s forehead, careful not to let her claws make skin contact. “I just said why, Dork. If you push too hard, you’ll get hurt and you won’t be able to get back up.” Her eyes went to Adora’s face. Even in the dark she could see the blonde grinning knowingly. Her blue eyes sparkled with a fire that could only come from a deep connection. Catra was both amazed by and scared of it. She didn’t like how right Adora was about most things. Sometimes if felt nice to win. To feel like she could be the one to show how strong she was. Few in the Horde doubted Adora’s ability to work hard and eventually come out on top. It wasn’t like Catra didn’t want that. She never wanted anything bad to happen to her friend. She just didn’t like how Adora got everything while Catra was left with next to nothing. 
> 
> “This is _not_ because I like you, okay?” Adora laughed at Catra’s attempt to cover up her protective statement. While the cat girl was never overly forward with her emotions, occasionally it slipped out. “You just aren’t allowed to die on me.” 
> 
> “Oh, because you’d kill me if I did?” Adora said, still sporting her victorious grin. Catra rolled her eyes. 
> 
> “Damn right I would.” 

  


This Guardian was infuriating. Catra hadn’t felt this much sand under her feet, the uneasy feeling of loss of control, and the scrambling to retain her footing in a long time. She hated every second of it. Nothing would please her more than to sink her claws into the Guardian. Who did this filth think they were? 

\------------------------------------- 

> “Let me see her!” Catra tried to strong arm the two Horde soldiers that stood in front of the Fright Zone infirmary. It seemed like a contradiction of terms to have one in the first place, but on occasion there was a need for treating injuries that couldn’t be slept off. 
> 
> This was a one such occasion. Adora had stepped in between Octavia and Catra for what felt like the umpteenth time. The older cadet had then responded by picking Adora up and throwing her. Then when Catra tried to calm the other girl down, Octavia had taken a broken stick and tried to use it to exact revenge. After Catra had scratched the older cadet’s eye out, she’d been waiting for a chance to return the favor. There were no rules in the Horde about fighting, not among cadets. If you couldn’t cut it in a petty cadet spat, you were useless in a real battle. Cadets were encouraged to solve their own problems through fights granting that Hordak didn’t find out. So, when Octavia began to wail, enacting visceral revenge on the two smaller cadets, no one stepped up or in to intervene. In the Horde only the strong survived. 
> 
> The broken staff raised above Catra’s head as Adora yelled, “Catra, move!” Three things happened then: Catra did move, but not quickly enough, causing the stick to come down, but missed her head and pierced through the skin of the blonde girl slamming the cat girl to the ground. Catra barely had the time to process what had happened as she shifted, panicking as she tried to press her hands to Adora’s bleeding shoulder. It was bad. But still the blonde flashed Catra a toothy grin. 
> 
> “We stick together…” She muttered before passing out. The cat girl bit her tongue to keep herself from crying out in panic. She couldn’t. Not here. Even as Adora was whisked away by the soldiers who had come in to see what the ruckus was. 
> 
> Then Catra was forced to stand on the other side of the door while someone else treated Adora’s wounds. If she didn’t make it, Catra knew she was going to have Adora’s head. She wasn’t allowed to leave. Not now. Not ever. 

Adora cared more about others than she did herself. Catra knew that from the beginning. It was one of the things she’d used against the blonde. Even then, Adora still believed the best of Catra. It was foolish. It was idiotic. No self- respecting soldier willingly gave up victory to save others. That was why Adora would fail and why Catra would succeed. But the cat girl still found that with her claws out, her teeth snarling, and her battle-ready stance as she stared down the Guardian, the stranger did not bow to her threats. Did no one realize she could kill them? She wanted to. After all she’d been through, she wanted to hit something, or more desperately, she wanted to kill someone. 

“It is my sworn responsibility to prepare She-Ra to fight our enemies. That includes Horde Prime.” The Guardian responded smoothly. The calm tone made Catra’s fur frizzle and jump with furious static. She ignored how it was making her tail hair stick out in all directions. 

“And that’s supposed to be enough for us, is it?” Catra bit back. She let out a hollow laugh, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Okay, _Guardian_ , if that really is your actual name. Tell you what.” She showed the Guardian her claws as she spoke, extending them to point at the robed figure. “You’re going to let us see Adora. Or I’m going to let Sparkles here recreate what she did with the wall…on your face. But not before I have a go. So, what’s it going to be?” Catra’s eyes flared. “Because I’m over your mysterious bullshit.” 

The Guardian looked between the two, consideration etched onto their features. If the threats had bothered them at all through this, it didn’t show. As far as a Guardian went, the robed figure remained impassive. Whatever training this guardian and any others that may or may not exist was impressive to say the least. At least it was in an objective sense. In Catra’s eyes the lack of emotion was downright infuriating. She’d spent her life trying to be a good soldier but had been dragged down by her own feelings. No one else got to be that way. Not after everything she’d had to give up. 

“Very well.” 

Catra was halfway across the room when the sound of the words hit her ears. She hadn’t even registered that she’d begun moving. Still the Guardian didn’t do or say anything to indicate that the threat bothered them. Claws slowly retracted of their own accord as the surprise hit the cat girl. 

“What?” 

“You may see your friend.” The Guardian said. Catra sniffed. She couldn’t smell any deception or lies. Then again, the Guardian was a picture of pure calm. “I can see I cannot stop you with lies. Though I must warn you.” 

Catra met the Guardian’s eyes and for the first time she saw a serious defiance present. “Your anger will not bring you the peace you seek. Not if it is with She-Ra.” 

“What the hell do you know?” Catra snapped. The Guardian closed their eyes. She hated how this stranger assumed they knew everything about Catra. It was arrogant. 

“I do not know you personally, but I have seen this kind of anger many times before. Every time it has destroyed the beholder in the worst ways imaginable.” The Guardian answered. “My job is protect She-Ra and if you continue to allow this to fester, I will have to take action. Is that understood?” 

Catra blinked. So, it wasn’t anger or rage or any kind of emotion that drove this Guardian, but a sense of duty. It reminded Catra of Adora’s sense of duty. Only Adora didn’t feel this emotionless. Was that what she was supposed to be like? Catra didn’t like how emotional Adora was. But she could stand this robotic Guardian even less. At least with emotions Catra could devise a strategy. With this type of automated resolve all she could manage was to inflict minor damage before feeling frustrated. 

The Guardian waved their staff and the wall rebuilt itself brick by brick. Each crumbled part snapped back together before settling into the wall. Then another spell sealed it into place. When it was all set, the Guardian turned to face the two others as the door opened. A healer in a long light blue robe stood in the doorway, head inclined in reverence to the Guardian. 

“Follow the healer if you wish to see your friend. I will see to it that your food is brought to your chambers later.” The Guardian stated and then in a flicker of light was gone. Glimmer stared at the spot. This Guardian had telepathy magic too? So many questions flooded her mind before she heard Catra clearing her throat. The cat girl jerked her head to the healer, who standing, waiting for them to follow. 

Once more the day’s events left the two with more questions than answers. But for now, Glimmer was just relieved that she would get to see Adora. It felt like an eternity. After everything that had happened, the Queen wished that the warrior girl would be okay. That was all she wanted now. 

As they walked down the corridor, Glimmer caught Catra’s pensive stare burning holes in the wall with her consternated focus. The pink haired girl knew that Catra had anger issues, but she hadn’t realized just how bad it was until recently. For someone else, a total stranger no less, to point out that that unfiltered and unadulterated anger would be Catra’s undoing was oddly cathartic. No one, not even Adora, could convince Catra that she was heading down a path that she may not recover from. Even now it seemed like the cat girl didn’t have it in her to redeem herself. Why should she? She had no reason to want to play party to Adora or Glimmer’s values. Yet, Catra hadn’t decided to hurt either of them actively since Prime imprisoned them. Glimmer chocked it up to the Horde Captain simply following the best course of action for the moment. That once they returned to Eternia, they would be full enemies again. 

But then again, Catra’s behavior had been growing more erratic of late. 

“We’re here.” The two exchanged looks before the healer opened the door for them. Glimmer entered first, her heart pounding as she took in her surroundings. The healing bay was like the rest of the castle, simple, but full of First One’s technology and writing. The color of the wall here was a soothing light blue. On the walls were were glowing charms in First One’s writing that seemed to send bursts of calming magic out every couple of minutes. In the far end of the bay, in a bed with a healer standing nearby was Adora. Glimmer crossed the room so fast she almost felt sick when she reached the bedside. The healer saw her and with a short incline of the head, was gone. Glimmer was relieved that the healers were allowing them some privacy. 

As she approached the bed, Glimmer wrung her hands. She wasn’t sure what to expect. After all the pain Adora had suffered through, the Queen feared the worst when the healers took the warrior girl away. But here Adora lay, her face still bore the signs of all the battles, but many of the wounds were healing and others had faded completely. At the sound of Glimmer’s long breathy release of the tension she’d been holding, two blue eyes found purple ones. 

“Glimmer.” Adora stretched out a hand, but it shook, her energy still not fully restored as it dropped to the bed. Glimmer was there in a second, taking the hand and pressing it between her own. 

“I…” Glimmer tried to speak, but no words could formulate on her lips. As Glimmer leaned closer, Adora pressed her hand against Glimmer’s cheek. 

“I’m sorry.” The warrior girl murmured. It was just like Adora to have her first words in a long time be an apology. Glimmer could only guess what the blonde was apologizing for this time. But she had some idea. She shook her head to dismiss the apology. 

“It’s okay, Adora… just…Don’t do that to me again.” Glimmer said, her breath heavy as she wiped her eyes. “We-… _I_ need you to stay.” Adora simply nodded. The words echoed those that Adora had uttered to Glimmer during Mermista’s mystery investigation. Glimmer had tried to leave or to go solve things on her own. It was habit they shared in stubbornness. 

“I’ll stay as long as you need me.” Adora said. Glimmer nearly blurted _I’ll always need you_. But she stopped herself. It was too much for right now and Glimmer couldn’t be sure Adora felt the same way. They’d never gotten a chance to talk about their feelings. The Queen’s eyes searched Adora’s as they slowly narrowed. Had she said something wrong? Then Glimmer looked over her shoulder to follow Adora’s gaze. 

“Hey, Adora.” 

“Catra.” If there was any doubt of the bitterness Adora harbored for her former Horde comrade and friend, the venom in the blonde’s blue eyes filled in the gaps. 

“You don’t seem too glad to see me.” Catra said. Adora tensed, pulling her hands away from Glimmer to brace herself on either side of her torso. 

“Why would I be?” Glimmer’s eyes went from one to the other. The two glared each other down. If looks could kill, the Queen was certain the two former friends would have beaten each other to a pulp by now. 

_“Maybe your best isn’t good enough! If it was, my mother would still be here!”_

In another world, the words Glimmer had screamed at Adora could have given way to the scene playing before the Queen. She could have lost Adora forever. For some unfathomable reason Adora had forgiven Glimmer or at the very least was willing to give the pink haired girl a second chance. Glimmer wasn’t sure she deserved it. She had screamed the absolute worst thing she could at her best friend, at one of the few people who would always have Glimmer’s back, whether or not she asked for it. 

“Why would I want to see the person who nearly destroyed the universe? Who kidnapped my friends?” Adora sucked in a breath. “You killed Angella.” Glimmer’s expression froze. “I told you before… you made your choice.” 

“Wow, that’s harsh, even for you, Adora. Aren’t you all about being forgiving and good now?” Catra asked. Adora’s eyes didn’t falter as they stared down the cat girl. If anything, they hardened further at Catra’s words. Part of Glimmer wanted to point out how Catra had helped them escape from Horde Prime and she was probably no longer welcome in the Horde. But before the Queen could cut in, Adora let out a cold laugh. 

“Forgiving?” Adora shook her head. “Catra, what do you think I’ve been trying to get you to do this entire time? I…” Her cold tone wavered. She squeezed her eyes shut as she looked away. “I can’t keep chasing the past.” 

Catra’s face scrunched up in confusion until she understood. This whole time they’d been circling each other, neither one completely able to give up on the past. Adora kept running after Catra, wanting her to change or rather to be the little kid she once was. At long last it was time to let the ghosts of the past rest. This whole time Catra had been outrunning Adora, wanting to lose her, and push her own goals. That was what the Cat Captain wanted. She wanted to be alone. Because she thought Adora was slowing her down. 

A slow grinding realization shook Catra to her core. The wheels were clogged, stuck in place. All this time Adora had bared her heart and had been carrying both to whatever the future held. Catra couldn’t stand it, believing that only the weak helped others. But Adora couldn’t have carried the rebellion as far as she had without strength. Maybe it wasn’t the same as Catra’s brute force, but it was there. 

_I just chose not to see it._ Catra sighed. There was nothing for her here but ghosts and memories. Adora was right. As usual. 

“Whatever.” Catra muttered and stalked off down the row of beds and out into the corridor. She leaned up against the wall. What had she expected? Truly? She’d wanted so badly to get Adora to give up, to leave her alone. Now that she had… it felt so _wrong_. 

Back inside Glimmer stared at Adora. Never had the Queen seen Adora give up on anyone or anything. But maybe Catra had just hurt the warrior girl one too many times. After all, the cat girl was one of the only people who knew just how to get under Adora’s skin. 

“Are you okay?” Glimmer asked. She could tell that Adora wasn’t. There was no way that the blonde hadn’t felt so exhausted by finally dismissing Catra on the spot. Even if that was what she should have done a long time ago. That didn’t make it any easier. Especially for Adora. If Glimmer were able to admit it, she would say Adora was the best of any of them. She saw through the darkness no matter how bleak the situation. 

“Yeah…” Adora murmured, sitting up and fixing a smile on her face. 

“Oh, Adora,” Glimmer said with a sigh. “You are a horrible liar. You’re not okay and honestly? I wouldn’t be either after all this.” 

Adora furrowed her brow. “And…how are you? I’m… sorry I brought up Angella.” The blonde hurriedly blurted the last part, now realizing that Glimmer had been there to hear what she had thrown in Catra’s face. Leave it to Adora to redirect anything about her own well-being to someone else. 

Glimmer lowered herself down to sit on the edge of the bed. “It’s…not easy to hear about her. But I understand why you said it. Catra needed to hear it. But, Adora, maybe she _can_ change?” 

The blonde blinked. “What?” 

“I know, it sounds strange, especially coming from me. But at this point, she doesn’t even have the Horde to fall back on.” Glimmer looked at her friend. “Just like you when you first came to us.” 

Adora ran a hand through her hair. “I want to believe she can change, Glimmer. I really do. I just…” She slumped back against the pillows. “I can’t do this.” _You’re weak._ A hand swept the stray hairs from the blonde’s face. Adora looked up as Glimmer leaned over. 

“You’ve done enough. Just sleep, okay?” The Queen said. Adora didn’t want to, but she couldn’t keep her eyes open any longer. 

Outside in the corridor Catra stood and as she turned away from the door to the healing bay she swore she saw the shadows of two small children, one half cat and the other a small blonde girl passing each other as they ran their separate ways. 

__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> Join me on my She-Ra Discord: https://discord.gg/9t3bkxz


	5. Purpose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey All,
> 
> This chapter is a little shorter than the previous one, but I promise more chapters will be on the way soon. I've gotten a lot of ideas for this fic recently and I'm excited to write them. I also recently decided to slightly change the ending I had planned because I had a much better idea that will also lead to a part 3 of this series. 
> 
> As always, feedback and comments are welcome. Let me know what you think! 
> 
> Thanks for reading!

If there was a force on Etheria that could keep She-Ra from fighting or wanting to remain active, it didn’t exist on the First Ones’ planet. At the very least it was unlikely that such a force could stand against the warrior, who in the minds of many, had the powers of a goddess. Her blade could silence even the unruliest of foes. She-Ra had one purpose: to fight. As far as Adora was concerned, she and her alter-ego were one and the same in their goals. Only, for the human half, there was one force she couldn’t fight. 

The blonde couldn’t stand lying on her back after night had fallen. She wasn’t sure where she was going but she had to go _somewhere_. Anywhere other than the dry sterilized room she’d been confined to rest was a better option. After she’d supposedly fallen asleep, Glimmer had left to go eat. The Queen left reluctantly, promising to return, but that had been over an hour ago. A sharp turn brought Adora to yet another identical looking corridor of the maze that served as the First Ones’ castle. 

She sighed, resting her head against the wall. It felt nice and cool to the touch. At least she was standing up and not idling away in her bed. A minute passed with no sounds or movements in the hallways. This place was creepier now that she was conscious enough to process it. After standing still she felt her body tugging her further down the hall. While her mind demanded she keep moving, her body slugged along behind. Each bone felt heavier and her muscles ached to the point of almost burning. Everything weighed on her in ways she wasn’t used to carrying. Even before finding the sword, Adora had trained hard enough to make up for her supposed “human” traits. _Only now_ …she furrowed her brow. _I know I’m not human. I’m a First One._

Adora continued through the corridor, pausing occasionally to use the wall to rest on. Her legs weren’t too keen on holding her up, but years of training had conditioned them to push through the pain, the fatigue, and keep fighting. There wasn’t a physical battle going on at that exact moment, but that didn’t mean she didn’t feel like she ducking, dodging, and returning blows. Her mind calculated how long she could hold herself up in a fight now. Constant barrages of escape scenarios rushed to her eyes as they checked her surroundings. 

Her hand brushed against the wall absently. A sharp pain ripped through her body and she looked down to see the corruption lines were glowing. Her eyes went to the walls. A long glowing panel of First Ones’ writing stretched down the corridor. She noted the redness on her skin where the wall had burned her. The walls had First Ones’ technology embedded in them. It wasn’t a surprise as this was a First Ones’ structure. But she hadn’t expected that the walls themselves would be able to hurt her. The Crystal Castle in the Whispering Woods didn’t hurt her. Each piece of the puzzle of this piece to drop into place only expanded on the larger picture. 

Whatever the whole story was, Adora knew it was something she had to find out. No matter how awful or possibly painful the outcome. Her mind had latched onto the hundreds of questions she was chasing and circling like a wild animal after its prey. The glow of the panel reflected in her blue eyes, causing them to almost appear white like that of her alter-ego as she transformed. She clamped her hands onto the wall panel, recoiling slightly at the buzz she felt as her fingers touched the panel once more. This time it was more of a staticky type shock that passed as quickly as it came. The burn was there but she’d numbed herself to it. Like a belay line, she hooked her hands on for balance. Then she towed herself along, pulling towards the end of the glowing line. As if the magic inside sensed her intentions, her corruption and infection lines began to sync with the lettering on the walls. Any conscious ability to move with the wall was ebbed away along with her fatigue. All she could feel was the energy flowing through her as if she were nothing more than a conductor for the light inside. 

As she reached an intersection of corridors, she noted that all the corridors were now lit with a similar glowing energy. She stopped then to consider where to go when the hall to her immediate right glowed a pale red. Normally, Adora would have avoided anything that color. Red was the color of emergencies and in the Horde, it usually meant there was a security breach. Though here there was a welcoming warmth to the glow. It softened into a lighter gradient running into bright oranges and then slowly to a cool blue at the end of the yellow white as if the colors were infinite. If nothing else, it was incredibly beautiful to look at. 

She’d gone this far, and she never backed down from a mission in her life. _I’m not about to start that today._ Even if she was determined and often, in the eyes of her friends, recklessly foolhardy. Adora still had a sense of practicality to her that had allowed her to survive the Horde’s harsh training and countless battles with the Rebellion. A small sense of fear could be the difference between living and dying. So, she had to measure her risk. The blonde warrior reached out her fingers to touch the energy in front of her. It tingled but wasn’t painful. A thoughtful hum escaped her lips. 

“Alright, glowing magic, lead the way.” Adora said to the glowing magic around her. _That is probably the weirdest thing I’ve ever said in my life._ She pressed her hand to the wall. The entire hallway thrummed to life, now bathing her in a sea of crackling energy. A timid step forward and she felt the ground beneath her give way. Instinctively she reached for something to stall her fall, but the ground dropped out from underneath her. Her yell was lost to the blackness below as the walls had vanished. There was nothing left to carry the sound. 

She squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the impact when she finally did hit the ground. Instead she found that she was floating and staring into several large columns of energy. Each one had a stone of some kind at its core. Every few minutes they would roar to an ear bursting volume and then settle. Adora kicked her legs out and wiggled until she touched down onto the stone floor below. 

A few good-natured kicks and stomps on the ground confirmed that she wasn’t going to tumble down once more. Falling once was enough to rattle her nerves. Battles were one thing. Fighting she could handle. There was usually one objective in a fight: to destroy the enemy or to gain the upper ground. It was a simple way of being and up until recently it had been enough for Adora that she could exist knowing all she had to do was fight until all her enemies were eliminated. Magic had changed all that. Unlike the life of a soldier, the life of a Princess or any magic user posed more questions than answers. The uncertainty she felt whenever her powers acted still gave her a sense of unease. 

Here she was in a room surrounded by magic and she didn’t know how to feel. She’d smashed the Sword of Protection. Even though she’d managed to summon some of She-Ra’s powers with Razz’s help, Adora knew that wasn’t likely to be a recurring solution. Adora gravitated towards one of the columns and as an energy crackling sparked at her presence, she heard a low voice behind her. 

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Adora turned, her mind immediately thinking of the Guardian, but when she turned, she found herself facing a robed figure, this one much younger and dressed in the armor of the guard of the Castle. The figure’s hand rested on the pommel of her sword. 

“How did you get down here?” 

Adora rubbed the back of her head. “That’s kind of a funny story… I followed a glowing light and then I fell? It was incredibly weird.” The figure raised an eyebrow but said nothing. If she found Adora’s story funny, she didn’t betray a single laugh or any emotion for that matter. 

There was a long silence as the figure scrutinized the warrior girl. “The Guardian says you’re She-Ra.” The guard stated and then sucked in a breath. “I for one don’t believe it. She-Ra went to Etheria years ago. She betrayed us.” 

Adora wished she had a weapon on her now. The general feeling of this room was a powerful energy that overall felt calm. But this guard radiated a fury as refined as fine wine. It was rich in its history, its influences, and every drop was fit to burst at Adora. 

“You mean Mara?” Adora spilled without much forethought. The guard twitched. “What did she do to you?” 

The guard laughed. “What did she _do_?” She let out a low laugh. “You don’t get to ask that.” 

Adora’s eyes narrowed then. Once more she’d been denied the truth of her past. Of whom she was. No one offered answers. The Guardian was vague, and this guard was blaming the blonde warrior for the actions of a warrior who existed hundreds of years before Adora was even born. “So, what then? You’re just going to be mad at me for something I didn’t even do? I’m _not_ Mara. And even if I _were_ , I don’t think I’d deserve your anger.” 

There was a pause before the guard answered. “Mara was a First One as you Etherians call us. She came from here. You were raised on Etheria, I don’t expect you to understand.” Something in Adora snapped. She’d been hurt by the infection the sword had caused and by the weapon that was hidden in the Heart of Etheria. Even now she getting stonewalled by someone who knew who Mara was. Enough was enough. 

Adora gestured to the columns as she stomped forward. “I _am_ a First One though. I can do things that no Etherian can. I can summon a sword, I turned into She-Ra until I broke the sword, and I can heal people. Why won’t anyone tell me anything?!” 

“Wait, wait,” The Guard said, holding up a hand. “You _broke_ the Sword of Protection?” Adora took a deep breath. There was an unreadable hesitation in the guard’s eyes now. “Where is it now?” 

Adora blinked. “Still on Etheria I think. I don’t know exactly. I was abducted by Horde Prime right after I broke it.” The Guard’s hands clenched and unclenched several times as she gritted her teeth. Adora wasn’t sure where this guard’s mind was now, but it was becoming increasingly apparent that the news of the sword’s destruction hadn’t gone over well. There was still some part of Adora that felt immense guilt over destroying the sword, no matter how necessary it was. 

“Horde Prime would have used it to take over Etheria. I had to destroy it.” The blonde warrior offered with a weak smile. The Guard let out a bellowing laugh that reverberated off the walls. 

A swift movement brought the guard’s face centimeters from Adora’s, the hot breath of the woman who nearly overtook Adora in size felt like it was burning her skin as it came out in short furious bursts. It wasn’t until now that the blonde warrior registered just how powerful the First Ones were in general. This guard, this First Ones soldier, was built like a solid brick wall. In the height and breadth she radiated, she reminded Adora of Huntara. Only this woman was pale skinned like Adora, but with shoulder length dark hair tied back in a neat ponytail, fit for fighting. Her eyes were a hard gray that almost appeared black in certain lighting. Unlike the Guardian, she seemed more on edge. There was a temperance to the Guardian’s demeaner that was absent in this Guard’s approach to each word Adora placed at the other’s feet. 

“Why don’t we start over?” The blonde warrior girl said with a nervous shrug. “I’m Adora. And you are?” There was a beat as the other glared unblinkingly down at Adora. Even the Queen’s General wasn’t this cold and emotionless. 

“What happened to Light Hope?” The Guard demanded. Adora flinched at the mention of the system that had nearly killed her and wiped out life on Etheria. 

“She was destroyed when I shattered the sword.” Adora said quietly. The Guard retreated slightly with a derisive “tsking” sound of disapproval. 

“Figures,” She muttered. “That planet has ruined too many good soldiers.” The plural of the statement turned Adora’s head around right quick, but the Guard didn’t have the chance to elaborate before the floor lit up with a rich purple glow. A low _thunk_ echoed across the floor and sent the two women staggering. 

“What is the meaning of this?” They both focused now on the Guardian as they lifted their hood down and away. For the first time Adora could see that the Guardian was a little younger than she initially expected but was still older than she or the Guard was. The hair cascading down their back was graying but it glowed at the edges and the silver would vanish, replaced by darker strands. This Guardian was casting spells to reduce aging without speaking or writing. Not even Micah had that ability. At least, Adora didn’t think so. 

“She destroyed the sword!” The Guard yelled, pointing at Adora. The latter averted her eyes to the floor. 

“I’m sorry. I should have tried harder to keep it intact.” The blonde warrior said, her voice barely audible. The Guardian regarded Adora with an impassive scrutiny. Unlike the Guard, whose emotions were firing by the hundreds and plain for all to see, the Guardian seemed to be constantly processing the information presented before them. 

“I suspected as much when you arrived.” The Guardian said slowly. “But I had hoped it wasn’t true.” The words only further served to cast Adora’s gaze further down. She wanted to sink into the floor and vanish. Her sole mission, her responsibility, was to fight for Etheria and preserve the Sword of Protection. Now she had no sword and could barely hold her own in a fight of words. _Weak_. 

“You knew?” The Guard said. “How?” The Guardian’s eyes shifted without a single movement from their body. The resulting impact on the Guard was that she stepped back. This Guardian didn’t need to posture to intimidate. 

“How indeed.” The Guardian replied crisply, eyeing Adora with an unreadable coldness. “Tell me, Adora, what do you know of the First Ones as you call them?” 

She shrugged. “Not much. I didn’t even know about them before I left the Horde.” At the word _Horde_ the Guard grabbed the other woman’s shirt and yanked her up. 

“I knew it! She’s a traitor!” 

_THUNK._

“You _will_ be silent, Tayla.” The Guardian thundered and the floor shook as the energy from the staff ripped across the stone. A slight tremor ran through the Guard, Tayla, but she remained stoic otherwise. A curt nod of acknowledgement followed. Satisfied that no further interruptions would ensue, the Guardian returned their attention to Adora. “I do not wish to cast a truth spell on you. So, let us be honest, shall we?” The warrior girl swallowed visibly with a quick nod. “Good. Now, from the beginning. Tell us what you know.” 

Adora began with finding the Sword of Protection, briefly discussing her time in the Horde, and then all the battles leading up to her abduction. All throughout, the Guardian stood with two hands resting on the top of their staff, face stony and as always, unreadable. When Adora finished her story, Tayla continued to glare at the other woman with disdain but had softened her expression from her initial anger. Whether that was because of the Guardian’s presence or she felt some sympathy or another emotion, it was hard to say. 

“Under normal circumstances, this would be grounds for us to find another She-Ra,” The Guardian stated then. A smirk struck across Tayla’s face at that prospect. But to her dismay the stoic judge did not stop there with their verdict. A deep sigh rippled their robes. The first sign of stirring since the conversation began. “But that would not serve the desired purpose. The sword is no more. We must find another way.” 

Adora stared at both people before her. “Um, what do you mean ‘find another way’?” 

“To save our people.” The Guardian said. “Much like Etheria, we have been hidden from Horde Prime for a long time. However, we are running short on resources.” 

Adora listened and then remembered what Mara had said about what the First Ones were doing to Etheria. They were using the planet to create a weapon. From what the Guardian was saying, it was clear that this was still their objective. Far too many gaps and questions remained in the story between Mara’s recordings and the little information that could be gleaned from the current conversations. Part of Adora was chomping at the bit to ask about why Etheria needed to be used. Or what her new role would be. But the other half resisted. She didn’t know if she could trust these people. Even if they were supposedly her original species, her origin, something felt strangely off. 

_Maybe I was too influenced by Etheria?_ Adora’s mind whirled. Were her loyalties as they should be? After all, she was She-Ra. The warrior Princess was responsible for protecting the planet and serving the First Ones. She rubbed her temples and sighed. Her eyes watched Tayla and the Guardian as they talked. Both had their own visions of the world. Prime had his. But no one offered an end game that would benefit everyone. A longing for the days when she had a simple mission to complete nipped at her mind. Before she was just a girl on Etheria, a human girl, and all she had to worry about was fighting for the Horde and then later in the service of Brightmoon. All her life she’d sworn herself to whatever cause spoke loudest to her values and to who she was. 

_But I’m a First One. Not an Etherian. Do I even belong on Etheria?_ Adora bit her lip. “You should return to your quarters.” The Guardian said. It was both a suggestion and a firm command. How the tone managed to convey both emotions at once Adora would never know. She was far too used to the straightforward nature of Hordak’s commands and the occasional command that Angella embodied when she was Queen. Without a word, Adora nodded and started her way out of the chambers. She couldn’t say how she found her way back to the corridor she started in, but it was easier and more intuitive this time around. Her body sensed where to go, as if an invisible string pulled her. She had no need of a lit panel this time. As she neared the infirmary she paused. 

Even before she entered, she knew she wouldn’t sleep tonight. Between the stream of conflicting emotions and the fact that she couldn’t sleep alone to save her life, it was a futile endeavor. Still she dragged herself to her bed. When she reached it, she caught the shadow of another in the room. With the conversation of the evening still fresh in her mind, she immediately brought her hands up to bear and her fist shot up instinctively. She caught herself from yelling her normal catch phrase. Her hand retracted and she grimaced. All she could feel was shame. 

“Adora?” The voice gently parted the clouds shrouding the blonde’s mind. “Oh, thank the stars.” Before she could say anything, she was pulled into a tight hug. Pink hair brushed her neck as she felt two hands running across her back. “I thought they’d done something to you. Are you okay?” 

Adora was never happier to see anyone in her life than when she was looking at Glimmer. The pink haired young woman held nothing but care in her eyes for her friend. Why, when Adora wasn’t even Etherian. Why when she didn’t know where she belonged. Or what her purpose was. She needed to be something for someone. Her hands shook. 

But she couldn’t tell Glimmer that. The one person who had suffered at the hands of the Horde more than anyone. She’d lost enough. “What are you doing here?” The Queen frowned at the question. More than anything, she knew Adora’s tells for when she was trying to lie or cover up something she’d been hiding. Enough had been lost between them because of bitter feelings that were stewing for far too long. Glimmer wasn’t about to let this become another broken bridge between them. 

“You’re shaking.” The pink haired girl said, taking her friend’s hands in hers. “I knew you wouldn’t be okay sleeping by yourself.” 

Adora let out a laugh and smiled unconvincingly. “Whaaat? No, I’m fine. Really. I was just about to go to bed. It’s all fine.” She mentally kicked herself for saying “fine” twice. _Smooth, Adora, real convincing._ Glimmer took a step back, her head cocked in a scowl of disbelief as she folded her arms across her chest. Her brow climbed up further as Adora tried to make her case. With each passing moment the dubiousness neared exasperated amusement. 

“I mean, just look at this place. It’s great. Hard beds and everything.” Adora knocked on one of the bed frames for emphasis. “Feels like home.” The words slid from her mouth along with her smile. At the thought of home, she felt all the tangled emotions of the night knotting themselves in her gut. Where was home for her now? 

“You don’t need to pretend around me.” Glimmer said firmly, but gently. “I know _you._ ” The Queen stepped close. “You can’t relax unless someone tells you to.” 

Adora stiffened and stared down at the pink haired girl like a deer in the headlights. “That’s not…” 

“I’m not going anywhere.” Glimmer nudged the blonde. It had been a long time since they’d slept in the same bed the way they had when Adora first arrived. Back when Glimmer’s only concern was for Adora’s wellbeing. Long before the weight of an entire kingdom came crashing down on them. 

“I can’t.” Adora bit her lip to keep it from trembling. Crying wasn’t allowed. Ever. The Horde had scared tears out of her. Glimmer moved closer and pulled Adora down. “Glimmer… I’m not…” _Worth it. Worthy of you. Not human. Nothing._ Keep your eyes ahead. Your mind on the mission. Eyes were meant to stay dry and ready to see the incoming enemy. No room was left for personal emotions. 

All this time Glimmer had been in her own head. She had been shouldering the reins of the kingdom her mother had left behind. Angella had been a mountain’s face of strength. One so indomitable in spirit that Glimmer hadn’t even thought about what it felt like to crack or strain. Once Brightmoon turned to her, she noticed the little crevices and breaks in the wall she used to be able to throw up to protect herself. The Queen couldn’t keep herself walled off. She had to be there for everyone. So much had happened so fast that Glimmer had grief whiplash. When the ride ground to an abrupt halt with Horde Prime’s arrival, only then did she see just how much Adora had been trying to alleviate the burden of everyone else. Only then did she see that the blonde had been cracking herself. 

“Please.” Blue eyes fixated on Glimmer at the one word. Adora both loved and feared how fast the pink haired girl could tear down her walls, causing the stones of her own mountain to crumble at the feet of her best friend. Or how easily her stoic military training fell apart at the slightest touch. There wasn’t a single fortress guarded or broad enough that could keep Glimmer at bay. No matter how much the blonde fought it or wanted to ignore it, she slowly realized that her heart was the Queen’s to command. “I want to be there for you this time.” 

It was all over. Adora caved, her head nodding of its own accord. How long it had been this way, she didn’t know. All she did know was that despite the Queen’s bitter words of the past, all that was left now was passion. It was a passion grown of two people who were too stubborn to state the obvious. Yet they could understand the unspoken words just the same. This was a language of desperation, loss, and something undefined that could only blossom when their eyes were ready to see one another in a different light. For now, their eyes were shut, bodies tucked close for a comfort that eluded them in the outside world. 

\------------------------------------------------ 

Tayla watched the crackling pillars long after the Guardian had departed. Fingers traced along the surface of the columns that ran along the outside of the sources of the planet’s core energy. 

Her eyes went to the hovering sigils in First One’s writing suspended in the blue glow of the magic. A hand curled to her chest where her own sigil lay. 

> Awe filled the small girl’s eyes as she strained to look up at the towering pillars of magic. Each of the ten were a different color in energy, representative of a variety of magical properties or paths. Tayla puffed out her chest, attempting to belay her nerves in lieu of postured confidence. 
> 
> “Today is an important time for all of you.” The Guardian said, a smile on their lips as they stood on the topmost step leading up to the center of the core energy. Amassed at the bottom were teens and children between the rough ages of ten and fifteen, respectively. Each wore the brownish orange robes of the trainees of magic. “At some point in our lives here, we must shoulder responsibility. A promise and a pact must be made to preserve the life we have.” They turned to gesture to the pillars of magic behind them. “Each of us has a role to play here and today you will discover for yourselves what that is.” The smile on their lips only broadened at the giddy laughter and chatter of the kids and teens alike. For First Ones, the rite of passage was paved with access to the planet’s core energy. Once bonded to a path, each First One would be able to wield a magic designated for their role. It was no small task and the power involved was nothing to scoff at. 
> 
> “Now, some of you are a little young to be choosing your path, but I want all of you to see how this works so you can prepare. Much of this bonding process depends on your dedication to your path. If there is any doubt in your heart, it will not work.” The Guardian waved their staff and the blue energy parted. 
> 
> “First. Mara, come forward.” Tayla’s eyes widened at the sight of the older girl. She was strong. Toned muscle lined her arms and her face was a model of pure resilience. In their training groups Mara had bested most of her peers. The Guardian gestured to the energy. 
> 
> “Step into the core and let your mission be known.” The Guardian stepped back to allow Mara to step into the space between the pillars. Her eyes cast about and as soon as her feet touched the ground, her eyes glowed many colors until reaching a pale white that engulfed her. She gritted her teeth to keep from screaming as the raw energy surged through her body. When it subsided, she looked down at her hand as a glowing sword materialized in it. 
> 
> “Step out.” The Guardian commanded. Mara did as she was bidden, and the face of the Guardian swiftly changed from neutral to proud. “Mara, what did the core tell you?” 
> 
> The girl looked down at the sword and then back out at the children before her. “I am She-Ra. I will fight for the House of Grayskull.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. 
> 
> Join me on my She-Ra Discord: https://discord.gg/9t3bkxz


	6. The Lies We Tell Ourselves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi All,
> 
> Thanks for waiting. I know this update took a little longer than usual. I'm working on multiple projects both in writing and visual art stuff so I appreciate your patience as I update things. I promise I am working as fast as I can. I plan to try to get as much of this story done before classes begin for the Fall in September, but I'm not sure if I'll be completely done with Albatross before then. Just know that I am working as fast as I can so you have more chapters to read before I have to take a hiatus again for classes. But that's not for a bit so I'll be sure to give you all a heads up before I take off. 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who is subscribed and has left kudos. Your feedback, in any format helps motivate me to write. =) 
> 
> Also, small note: I realized when I checked the She-Ra fandom page that Bright Moon is two words and I've been cramming it together as one. Oops. I'm making that adjustment going forward. 
> 
> Content warning in this chapter for a lot of swearing. (I made this "M" rated and I plan to take full advantage of it). It does make me wonder what characters would get the swears if She-Ra was rated T. What scenes do you guys think would get the proper swears? My HC is that Catra would swear a lot but that's just me. Lol. 
> 
> Anyways, thank you again to everyone for your continued support. If there's something you like or would like to see more of, let me know!

Glimmer had fallen asleep comforted only by the presence of Adora’s warm form sleeping next to the Queen. But as she blearily stared into the darkness of the infirmary, she realized her arms were empty and she sat up so fast the blood rushed to her head. She winced and regretted moving at all. Once she’d gathered her bearings, she turned to find Adora had scooched across the mattress, so she was facing away from the pink haired girl. After spending years sharing a room or a bed as friends, Glimmer had learned quickly how to tell when the blonde was sleeping or simply pretending to avoid worrying her friends. The Queen had never called her friend on her bluff because it didn’t seem like it would help either of them. But now, given everything they’d been through because of pent up emotions, it seemed like hiding anything, even busted secrets about sleeping patterns, felt like a disaster waiting to happen. 

“Adora, are you asleep?” Glimmer said, breaking the silence. The blonde’s back shifted and Glimmer sighed. Her mind drifted to their first visit to Mystacor when Adora had also not been sleeping due to nightmares. At the time, it had mostly been caused by and fixed by the elimination of Shadow Weaver’s presence. 

“If I say yes, would you believe me?” The blonde said, a touch of hopeful humor in her tone. If the warrior had truly intended on convincing Glimmer that she was in fact sleeping, she had done a piss poor job of selling the act. 

“No.” Glimmer said with a grunt of exasperation. But she couldn’t help but laugh a little at the absurdity of the whole question. There was no way that Adora could have asked that so lucidly and been asleep. At least that wasn’t a habit Glimmer was aware her friend had. 

Adora rolled over onto her back and looked up at the pink haired girl. A faint smile played on the blonde’s lips. “Worth a shot.” 

Glimmer smirked but shook her head. “Not for you. You’re bad at lying. Always have been.” 

Adora laughed and wilted a little. “Whaat? Come on, I’m not that bad.” 

“Okay. Prove it.” 

Adora stared at the Queen as she lifted an eyebrow skeptically at the blonde warrior. “Huh?” 

“Lie to me right now.” Glimmer jerked her head at Adora and waited. Of all the things Glimmer had asked her friend to do, this was by far one of the weirder ones. It was hard enough for Adora to fool herself into thinking that she wasn’t scared of what she might find here. The truth was something she knew she couldn’t unlearn once she’d uncovered it. There wouldn’t be any way to ignore her origins when the Guardian finally gave her the answers she wanted. 

“What? Now, now?” Adora repeated. 

“Yes, _now._ ” Welp. They were doing this. The warrior girl knew better than to argue when Glimmer got that glint in her eyes at the sign of a challenge. 

“Okay…” Adora murmured resignedly. The two were always up for friendly competition, but something about this was especially strange to the blonde. She searched every inch of her mind for a convincing lie as Glimmer watched with growing curiosity. “I’m not afraid of ghosts. 

The Queen rolled her eyes and blew a raspberry into the air to show she had rejected the attempt. “I know from experience that’s not true.” 

Adora grumbled something under her breath about the pink haired girl also being afraid of them too. It was also the Horde’s fault for telling such elaborate ghost stories to the cadets when they were younger. “I once stole a bunch of meal bars for Catra.” 

“You’re not even trying, Adora.” Glimmer shoved her friend. “You’re too much of a rule lover to steal anything.” 

The warrior girl sighed. What Glimmer had said _was_ true. While the adventures she’d gone on would toe the line on some areas of rule following, Adora wouldn’t break a rule, even if her life were on the line. She paused and then said, “I don’t belong on Etheria.” 

Glimmer stared at her friend. Part of her could tell Adora wasn’t lying about this statement. As far as the Queen was concerned there wasn’t an ounce of truth in them, but that didn’t change whether Adora herself believed it to be so. 

“What happened last night?” Glimmer asked. Years of practice had honed Adora’s tolerance for many things. She learned to grit her teeth and bear the bruises, the fractures, the high expectations that made her believe wholeheartedly that her worth depended on her performance as a soldier. Even now, many knew her because she was She-Ra, because she fought for the rebellion. How many people truly knew anything about Adora on her own? 

_Would you believe me if I told you that last night someone told me that destroying the sword was wrong?_ The Sword of Protection had been designed to destroy. There were so many questions that Adora had about her role in its intended application. She had continued training with Light Hope thinking that this was the right path. But she had lied to Adora. The personable program known as Light Hope, had abandoned Mara, the only person to maybe befriend the hologram. 

Every single action Adora took now she felt the past was still following her. No amount of fighting with the rebellion could erase the years she spent in the Horde believing in their rhetoric, their falsified missions fronts: conquering and killing in the name of “peace” and “order”. Somehow, despite all the time she’d spent living in Bright Moon, none of it could wash the blood she knew was on her hands. 

Where was the switch to undo the past? Finding the Sword of Protection, abandoning Catra, no matter how corrupt the Horde had been, breaking the one promise, the one way the blonde warrior could be a good person in the Horde, she’d failed. Catra was here. They were just down the hall from one another and the dark hallway that took minutes to cross, never felt further away than it did now. 

_Would you believe me if I said that the First Ones may not have been good?_

_Would you still think…_

All the ways the blonde had trained, whether it was with the Horde or Light Hope, or sparring with her friends in Bright Moon on occasion, was to be a force for hope, for bettering the world. Catra’s fierce attachment to the Horde continually vexed Adora. None of it made sense. Especially not when Catra openly admitted that Hordak and Shadow Weaver had manipulated them into following orders. Adora may have been fooled, but Catra, she had figured it out and still wanted it. 

After the blonde had first moved to Bright Moon, she’d spent nights awake wondering if Catra wanted to destroy the world. If she genuinely thought that would bring peace or closure for the cat girl. But no, Catra didn’t care. She proved it by activating the portal not once, but twice. Would she do it a third time? 

_Would I do the same if Light Hope told me it was my destiny?_

Shadow Weaver tried to convince Adora that her only purpose arose when the Horde found her. For a time, she’d believed it. After all, there wasn’t a single reason at the time for her to doubt it. Moreover, she didn’t want to doubt it. It gave her a sense of belonging. A reason to exist. Without it… without it… 

_You broke the sword._

_You broke your one way to help._

_You are She-Ra._

_And?_

_Fighting for the Horde._

_And?_

_Fighting for Bright Moon._

_And?_

Fighting for a broken promise. 

_And nothing else._

Catra wasn’t the one that confused Adora the most though. The one person that the blonde warrior couldn’t quite sort out in her head, wasn’t the one she’d grown up with. Catra was frustrating because deep down, Adora knew she should have figured out the cat girl’s motives earlier. The warrior girl didn’t _want_ to see them. It was easier to just pretend they were still friends. Friends who fought. Friends who never trusted each other. Friends who shared secrets but never showed each other their deepest desires. Catra wanted recognition. She wanted power. The power and agency that Shadow Weaver would never give her. Some twisted part of the cat girl probably wanted the attention that Shadow Weaver reserved for Adora. 

_You never did have much faith in me._

_Can you blame me?_

_Not really._

But she did. With every fiber of her being, Catra bitterly resented Adora and could only process it once the other girl had left. Once that promise had been broken, there was nothing left to bind either of them to anything. What was lost… 

She-Ra was a powerful magical being. That was a fact. But she had a purpose. One that was set forth by the First Ones. The more Adora knew about her alter-ego, the more she wasn’t sure if she could continue to keep pretending that she thought she was a force for good. By some warped form of caretaking, Hordak had enforced Horde Prime’s ideas about order and peace. Maybe it was wrong. Maybe it was all kinds of manipulative. But Hordak knew what his mission was. 

What happened is the First Ones had more of an agenda than Light Hope or the ruins could explain. Tayla knew about it. The Guardian knew about it. Adora didn’t. Her mission had been to use the weapon. Instead, the sword was destroyed and now she had no connection to the powers that gave her a purpose. 

None of it mattered because she’d failed the Horde. She’d failed Catra. Bright Moon was still under attack as far as she knew and here they were on a planet with no way to return to Etheria. 

_Would you still…_

“The First Ones were planning something.” Adora answered finally. “I guess whatever I…whatever She-Ra was supposed to do… I didn’t do it.” 

Glimmer’s brow furrowed. The weapon. It _had_ to be the weapon. Glimmer had still tried to use it. Even though Bow and Adora had warned her that it was dangerous. Mara had died trying to protect Etheria from it. To protect Adora from it. Mara had done a better job of protecting Etheria and Adora than Glimmer ever could. The Queen couldn’t look at the woman that had the heaviest load, one, that even she, as Queen, couldn’t bear. There was no task the blonde warrior wouldn’t attempt. There was no fight she would balk from. Not even one where she had to grasp the reality that her former comrade and best friend was now her mortal enemy. Meanwhile, Glimmer turned her bitter regrets inwards, stabbing the guilt into her psyche like tiny daggers to a pincushion. Each prick bled the mistakes she’d made. Beginning with screaming at Adora, blaming her for Angella’s death, assuming that the weapon was their only hope to survive and it had only hurt everyone in the process. Pride was a tough nut to crack. It was her weakness. But she was tougher than that. She had to be. If not for Bright Moon, then for Adora. The warrior before the Queen was the reason she was able to become the person she was today. 

_Could you still…_

“I broke the sword, Glim.” Adora’s voice was cracking, crumbling, and falling apart. Every second the pink haired girl waited to respond, the more the blonde blamed herself, held the blame all for herself. Despite how selfless Adora truly was, she was selfish in wanting to keep all the responsibilities for herself. It was one of the many things Glimmer both admired and wished Adora could stop doing. One of those things, one of those many fights, those responsibilities, her care for everyone, and then her destiny as She-Ra, one of them had to give. Or so Glimmer thought. Adora wouldn’t give it up. Some part of Glimmer knew the blonde would rather die than fail. _She almost did._ The Queen’s mind reminded her of the brief moment Glimmer thought she would lose Adora forever. Angella was gone, but getting her back wasn’t worth losing another piece of Glimmer’s already fragile heart. She’d never admit it, but she knew her tough front wasn’t enough to defend her from how much passion she gave to all those around her. Adora had been right to say the Queen’s rage, her defensiveness, her bitterness, all of it, was driven by a passion without an equal. 

“I know.” Glimmer said, taking the other girl’s hand. It was easy to forget that under all the callouses, the scars, the scrapes, and history written in pain, was a tenderness that the Queen wanted all for herself. _I can’t ask her to._ For all that Glimmer had in her life, she’d grown up with so much she’d taken for granted. A home, a loving mother, a best friend that would give his heart and soul for her, and the other Princesses. 

How could she ask the one person who hadn’t had much before coming to Bright Moon to give the most precious thing she could, to Glimmer. It was unthinkable. 

“But that weapon would have destroyed everything.” The Queen murmured. “It’s my fault you had to do that.” 

“What?” Adora said. “It’s not your-” 

“Please, don’t, Adora.” Glimmer bit. The blonde flinched back, almost yanking her hand away. “Sorry.” The pink haired girl drew in the hand once more and gently stroked it. This was new for both of them. They’d always been close, affectionate, but after everything, what did that even mean? “I need you to hear me now.” 

There was a pause, a tilt of the head as the warrior tried to read the Queen’s face, but only managed to nod in response. “The weapon, whatever it is, we…” _I_ her mind insisted. “Can’t afford to lose anything to it.” 

Angella had said she was a coward for not going after what she wanted. That she’d given up when she should have kept fighting. She’d avoided trying to rescue Micah or even hoping he’d survived somehow. 

“But what am I supposed to do? Without She-Ra…” Adora started. _Say it. Coward._ Glimmer sighed. It was all or nothing when it came to Adora. She could only speak and act in absolutes. It was ridiculous but so very endearing. And for someone who loved jumping into action, it was something Glimmer knew she loved from the moment Adora decided to swear her life to Bright Moon. “Would you even… am I still….” 

Glimmer’s eyes met blue and she tightened her grip on her friend’s hand. “Are you what?” 

“Good.” There was no other reaction to that question except _Only you, Adora, could think you weren’t good._ Or alternatively, _what the actual fuck, Adora?_ Glimmer couldn’t believe how low of an opinion Adora had of herself. The blonde-haired warrior was She-Ra, she’d saved Bright Moon more times than anyone had a right to count and had saved Glimmer too. She even risked her life to try to bring back Angella. A feat the new Queen couldn’t and in the darkest recesses of Glimmer’s mind, she desperately wished Adora wouldn’t attempt to repeat. The pink haired girl knew that deep down she wouldn’t be able to continue onward without the blonde. She-Ra maybe, but not Adora, it took the Queen far too long to realize that she needed one of them, but not the other. If losing She-Ra meant Adora got to live her life out, then Glimmer would tell the world to get over itself, so the blonde had a moment of peace. Not too long ago, that was all Glimmer wanted for her friend. Getting back to that desire was all that Glimmer could ask for from the universe. After all her mistakes, after believing she was right in using the weapon and chasing off her friends, and screaming at Adora, the pink haired girl hardly believed she deserved asking a boon of the universe as a collective. But if there was someone out there listening, she would gift her wish to Adora. 

_Stars above, if this girl didn’t deserve everything the universe had to offer. I couldn’t hope to give her all she should have,_ Glimmer thought with some resentment towards whoever had decided to make Adora into a trigger for the world’s biggest laser gun. Before the Queen met Adora, back when she was a Princess, all she ever wanted was to be stronger, faster, more powerful. Living in the shadow of an immortal mother did that to her. It was hard to measure her abilities against anything other than Angella’s legacy. Then Adora came along. She had a history in the Horde, a place so evil that even Glimmer couldn’t believe Adora couldn’t see it for what it was. But maybe that was because the Horde couldn’t change who she was at her core. The moment she saw the Horde’s lies, she left. Glimmer couldn’t even see how foolish her desire to have more power was. It meant nothing if she couldn’t protect her friends or if she couldn’t protect Bright Moon… _If I can’t protect the one person that needs protection from herself._

So, what was the answer? It was clearly a “Yes, Adora, you absolutely wonderfully idiotic fool, you are _so_ good. I don’t know what the hell to do with myself!” But there was a time and place for that type of statement, and it wasn’t now. Glimmer had to channel her inner Bow. He had a delicate and diplomatic way of speaking that Glimmer, despite her mother’s training, severely lacked. The pink haired girl was blunt and direct. Not as direct or prone to deadpanning as Mermista, but far more capable of telling things like they were. 

What did you say to someone who couldn’t see how amazing she was? What to say to someone who was constantly punishing herself for things that were beyond her control? Glimmer knew how that was. The mess they were in, was her fault after all. No amount of apologizing could undo the fact that she, as Queen, as Adora’s best friend, used her more than once to accomplish her end result. The truth was that the ends didn’t justify the means. It was a lesson that Glimmer had to learn in the worst way possible. And by all the magic in Etheria did she regret the amount she’d hurt everyone. 

But Adora was still here. She was still fighting for her friends, for Etheria, and for everyone she cared about, whether they knew it. “You are the _only_ good thing to come out of this stupid war, Adora. You’re better than good, you’re dedicated, loving, and stars, I wish I had half the guts that you do sometimes. But more importantly, you keep trying, you keep trying to be the best and you always stand up again, no matter how many people hurt you. You keep believing in everyone else. It’s time someone believed in _you_ for once, You Wonderful Idiot.” So much for not saying that tactless shlock Glimmer had thought about not saying a minute ago. As Adora took in the words, the Queen wondered if she’d overstepped her bounds or said the wrong thing. But slowly the fear, hesitation, and uncertainty dripped away to reveal that tilted grin that the blonde flashed so often, and each time it gave Glimmer’s stomach butterflies. With one look the blonde could turn the Queen’s world upside down and she would never want it to be right again. 

“Glimmer…” Adora said slowly. “How did you manage to call me an idiot and tell me I’m good in the same sentence?” She sounded mock offended, but she was smiling so the tension melted from the Queen as well. 

“It’s a talent.” The pink haired girl said with a smirk. Adora laughed. The sound could stir things in Glimmer she couldn’t describe. The day that she wiped the laughter and joy off Adora’s face with the bitter words about Angella, was the last time Glimmer wanted to see her friend hurt. The blonde should only laugh. That was the vow the Queen made to herself in that moment. “You really are the best thing to come of this whole mess.” A deep breath then, “You’re the best thing to happen to me. Period. And I can’t go another day without apologizing for how much I fucked things up. I want you in my life. I need you in my life. For as long as you’ll have me.” 

Adora’s blue eyes softened at the vulnerability in Glimmer’s words. It had been a while since they’d been this open with each other. After becoming Queen. Glimmer had to put on fronts, put on a strong face, and act like she had everything under control. Behind the face of the strong-willed young woman that now lead Bright Moon was the heart of a girl who wanted her mother back. Of the girl who didn’t get to grow up with her father. There was a flawed person that still burst into every situation with renewed heart and energy to spare hidden behind layers of pain earned through war. None of it was fair. But like Adora, Glimmer had to become something more to win the war. 

It was nice to get back to the fact that they were both teenagers. Two people who thought they needed magic to be worthy to the universe. When none of that was true. 

“No more lies?” Adora said, asking that the air be clear for them to speak what was in their hearts. Glimmer slid her hand over the blonde’s. 

“I think we need to talk…honestly.” The Queen said with a nod. “Can I start?” 

“Since when do you ask me for permission?” The warrior raised an eyebrow. Glimmer grunted in frustration, but it lacked actual anger or negative emotion on the Queen’s part. 

“Humor me.” She said with a roll of her eyes. 

“Sorry, go ahead.” Adora held her tongue but was grinning a little in amusement at the pink haired girl’s attempt to delegate her words. 

“I made some major mistakes. None of them are ones I can undo, but I hope I can make it up to you. If you need time to be mad at me, I’ll understand.” Glimmer said. She licked her lips nervously. “But if I’m being totally selfish here? I’ve… had the biggest crush on you since you first transformed into She-Ra. Actually…ever since I saw you stuff your face at the festival in Thaymor.” 

Adora’s eyebrows went up so high they almost touched her hairline, but she didn’t interrupt. “But that’s not what I…” She swallowed hard. Why was this so hard to say? They’d been friends for three, almost four years, and she still couldn’t tell Adora the truth. 

So many times Glimmer had found herself craving or falling into Adora’s soft embrace. Early on Adora had started sleeping in Glimmer’s bed. It became such a normal occurrence that without it, the Queen found herself wondering how she managed to sleep alone for so long. They fell together, two strings twisted together to form the strongest line of connection to exist in the known universe. Yet, Glimmer was the one who deliberately frayed it. She tested its strength. Adora shied away as a result and the loneliness, the isolation, and the need to have that closeness again near killed the Queen inside. 

“What I mean to say is…” 

_Could you ever forgive me?_

_Why should you?_

Once upon a time Queen Angella had told Glimmer that she didn’t want her to make the same mistake and leave Adora behind. It wasn’t until now that Glimmer realized what her Mom meant. At first it seemed like it was just about being a good friend. But the comparison to Micah, to the love of Angella’s life, and the regrets Glimmer had to reconcile with now, she understood. Throwing Adora and the other Princesses into the line of fire was not right. It would never be right. For the blonde warrior especially. 

What the Queen would give to wake up every single day to those blue eyes in her life. What she would pledge to just have one more day with Adora in her arms or she in the blonde’s. What in the name of the stars, moons, and galaxies above could Glimmer of all people do to earn such an honor? 

“Agh!” Glimmer threw her free hand up in a loud yell of exasperation, startling the blonde. “Sorry.” She breathed and then fixed her lavender eyes on Adora’s. “Adora, I don’t think I deserve half of the things you’ve given me. But I want it. All of it. I love you and I have for a while.” By the end of her ramble she was out of breath because she had forgotten to breathe, again, around Adora. It was so hard when the blonde knocked her off her feet again and again. Magical destiny or not, Adora would forever keep Glimmer guessing. She was the next greatest adventure of Glimmer’s life. 

Adora’s pause only caused the Queen’s heart to beat faster as her nerves threatened to overthrow her mind with second guesses. A gentle squeeze brought the Queen back. “I was hurt by what you did, Glimmer. I’m not going to lie. But I know you want to be better. I know you did it for your kingdom.” She took a deep breath. “And I meant what I said before. I’ve never met anyone like you. No one cares more about this whole world than you do. If I’m good enough to have even a little of that love, I’d count myself lucky.” 

Glimmer sighed. “You’re more than enough, Adora. I swear I’ll spend every day of our lives making sure you know that.” She lifted a hand to touch her friend’s cheek. The blonde hesitated and then leaned into the touch. 

“I missed this. I missed you.” Adora admitted. “That fight was…” 

“The worst.” Glimmer agreed. “No more of that. From now on, I’m listening to you.” The warrior smiled at that. “What?” 

“Can you really promise that?” 

“I can try.” Glimmer said with a shrug. Adora laughed and touched her forehead to Glimmer’s. 

“Good enough.” There was a pause as they stared at one another. For two people who knew that they had nothing but love for one another, there was still a river of shame, regret, and past mistakes to ford. But fear wasn’t going to win. The river was drying out and the gap between their faces went with it. Before they were driven by a sense of duty, of responsibility to others, to their kingdoms, to their worldly destinies, but in this moment, they were only sworn to each other. To a passion once lost to the wind as bitter words and changes were thrown. A love once lost, now found deep in each other’s eyes, the pain washed aside as their collective warmth created a sea of love powerful enough to make the stars weep in jealousy. 

“Glimmer?” Adora breathed as they parted lips. The Queen hummed a question in response. “Is this what you want?” 

Two lavender eyes blinked questioningly and then she sighed. This would take a while. But they had the rest of their lives to work on that. “You’re what I want, Adora. Always.” 

Was it okay to want this? “I….” The blonde couldn’t ask for what she wanted; it wasn’t her way to be selfish. But Glimmer could feel it. She knew Adora wanted this. But never took what she wanted. It was hard to be selfish when the universe wanted a piece of all you and left nothing behind but crumbs and dregs. 

“You can tell me.” The Queen said. All the warrior had to do was ask. While Glimmer was fully aware that all she had to do was ask and Adora would follow the pink haired girl to the ends of the world. But Adora didn’t realize she held the power to command the Queen too. That there was a strength in the blonde that had nothing to do with She-Ra. 

“I want you too. I hated being so distant with you.” Adora murmured. The walls came tumbling down and the Queen welcomed the sweet embrace that they both missed. 

“I’m not letting you go again.” Glimmer promised. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Catra realized early on that Glimmer wasn’t coming back from wherever she’d gone. Not that the cat girl was surprised. Everyone left her eventually. First Adora, then Shadow Weaver, and even Hordak cast her aside at one point, and Glimmer only stayed with the cat girl because they were escaping prison. What did she honestly expect? 

That maybe things would change in her favor? A low laugh escaped the cat girl’s mouth at that. It felt even more hollow in the quiet of the dark room. Nothing went her way. She knew that. But she kept hoping, like an idiot, that she could fight her way to the top of whatever mountain she was on. Not that she knew what mountain that was now. The part of her that knew the Horde as it was believed in rising through the ranks there. Somehow it had to work. It had to. 

_If it doesn’t, then what are you?_

The cat girl let out a hiss and turned to face the wall. Or what was left of it. The Queen had done a number on the chamber. It was oddly fitting that not even the walls to the unknown world she was currently on could keep her from seeing her weaknesses. Glimmer could blast the walls to bits, even with her powers depleting. And Adora… 

Adora. The cat girl’s eyes saw red. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get the blonde’s face out of her mind. It had to be because she hated her. Because the blonde had broken the one promise they had. Catra bit down on her lip. She didn’t care about that. It didn’t matter. It never did. They both did what was necessary to rise above the rest. 

_She left you._

_I don’t care._

Catra seethed. If she went left, Adora followed, if she dodged right, Adora would find an opening from the left. Every time that the cat girl tried to get ahead, she was left with the sobering reality that Adora would always be better. 

_It has nothing to do with skill either._

Catra dragged her claws across the mattress, ripping jagged holes along the sheets. At some point Catra saw that Adora wasn’t like the others. She didn’t have a cutthroat attitude. Not in the same way many of the Horde soldiers did. Not in the way that Catra did. It would have been her undoing at some point. The cat girl knew that from scratching out Octavia’s eye. The Horde was a place of survival. Only the tough and brutal made it through. If you couldn’t bring yourself to bite, scratch, and maul your way up, you would fall to the bottom, forgotten. 

For the life of her, Catra couldn’t bring the horrible selfishness out of Adora that she would have needed to rise. The blonde hardly needed it with Shadow Weaver always promoting her. Then Adora saw the Horde for what it was and just left. It was the most selfish thing she’d ever done to Catra and it wasn’t something they both benefitted from. 

The Cat Captain had seen it as an opportunity to get attention for herself. She proved her worth to Hordak, she became his second in command, and then Horde Prime wiped it all away. There was always someone bigger and stronger. That was the way of the world. There would always be someone who had a bitter chip on their shoulder or a desperate desire to gain power, and those people, those vicious people, would always win. 

Except Adora. She wasn’t bitter. She wasn’t angry. 

_Even though she had every right to be._

Catra clenched her fists and let out a growl and then brushed her hand across her face. Drawing it back, she saw it was wet. Was she crying? That wasn’t right. She couldn’t cry. It wasn’t who she was. _Adora_ cried. Not Catra. 

Crying was something the Cat Captain could handle from the blonde. But that cold stare when Adora stepped out of the portal, it was so devoid of any emotion that for the first time Catra didn’t feel cocky or confident. She felt fear. Because until that moment Adora hadn’t drawn the line in the invisible sand to divide them. After that moment, they were enemies. No vows, no promises, or past experiences could erase that vitriol shaking the whole room before the blonde smashed the portal to bits. The strike destroyed any chance they had to turn things around. 

Catra still wanted to be on top. She still saw Horde Prime as another Hordak. He was just a bigger fish in a bigger pond. Maybe he had an armada. It didn’t matter. If he had conquest goals, Catra wanted to ride that wave of success. 

_If not, then what are you for?_

Catra screamed and threw her pillow across the room. She stood up and started walking down the hallway. Her mind wouldn’t let her be. Before she had been running around too much to have time to think. Now it was too much. Her mind was a dangerous place. As she neared the end of the hall, she saw a robed figure draw a rune in the air and push it forward around a corner. Catra pressed herself against the wall, casting quick glances to see what was happening. 

The robed figure turned to reveal a dark-haired woman in armor. She was standing over another robed figure. Catra’s brow furrowed. What was going on? Weren’t these First Ones all on the same side? The standing woman’s hand glowed and then crackled red over the fallen figure. There was a yell and then the other collapsed. The armored woman stepped over them and continued down the passage. Catra inched along the wall. 

She looked down at the figure on the ground. A quick press of fingers to their neck revealed that they were alive. What the hell was that. Catra’s eyes narrowed slightly and then shot wide open. She knew that spell. While she didn’t know much about magic, Catra remembered the red glow and angry crackling of the spell that nearly wiped Adora’s memories. 

Maybe Catra hated the blonde for leaving. Maybe she didn’t want anything to do with her. But she didn’t think that Adora deserved to forget everything. A person’s memories were all that they were. It was all that she, Catra, was. Without them she was just as blank as the Horde soldiers who had no life. 

_Oh._ The cat girl snapped up and squeezed her eyes shut. That’s what that was. Back when Adora had asked the cat girl why she’d let the blonde escape the Fright Zone, she’d brushed it off. At first it was because Catra thought there was no good reason to wipe someone’s mind. No matter how bitter she’d become. Memories should be left as they were. Adora still deserved to choose how to feel about them. Even if it was wrong to the Cat Captain. 

_Or maybe…_

_No._

_Maybe…_

_No._

_Just listen…_

_No!_

_Maybe you didn’t want her to forget you._

_Fuck._ Catra was crying as she stood in the corridor of this strange place. The place of Adora’s origins, and the only thing the cat girl could do was cry. Because they’d come all this way, supposedly together, but for the life of her, Catra had never felt more alone. She sucked in a breath through her teeth and wiped her face. There was something going on here, but Catra couldn’t be sure what. 

She sighed. The best thing would be to tell Adora what had happened. This person, this First One, whoever they were, had their mind wiped. That was significant and moreover, it was concerning. 

Catra hated the part of her that pushed her to follow the armored woman. But if she was attacking people, the cat girl had to get ahead of it. She felt grateful that her cat-like slinking skills allowed her to move around undetected. After what felt like an eternity, she found herself staring at a massive wall of First Ones writing. Groaning, she dragged a hand through her hair. 

“Ugh, of course it would be a magic thing.” She muttered. The wall then rumbled, and the cat girl jumped back, her fur standing on end. Where there had been a door a second before, there was now an even longer passage. Catra stared ahead. All her training told her that rushing into the hallway was a bad idea. If it were Adora, she’d rush in with her fancy princess powers and try to dazzle the enemy to death. It was exhausting to just think about it. 

Catra started walking. She wondered if there was an end to this corridor when her ear twitched. She ducked down as a glow emanated from the end of the corridor. There was the armored woman again. Catra squinted but couldn’t get a sense of what the other woman was doing. 

The cat girl slowly crept forward and stopped before the massive glowing intricate web of what looked branches of energy. They were all connected to a single glowing source. The armored woman was reaching into the source and stepped out. In her hand was a glowing piece of First Ones writing. She stepped forward to get a closer look, knocking a small rock to the side. It was quiet but in the open space, but the clattering of the stone drew the armored woman’s gaze to Catra. 

She tucked the glowing object away behind her cloak. “It’s unfortunate that you had to see that.” 

Catra folded her arms across her chest. She recognized a veiled threat when she heard it. “And you’re going to wipe my mind too?” The armored woman’s eyes narrowed but she didn’t move. 

“You’re a soldier. Maybe not the same kind as I am. But we know what it means to protect what we believe in.” The armored woman stepped away from the glowing core and for the first time Catra saw that the woman was young and covered in battle scars. 

The cat girl didn’t move either. “Which is what, exactly?” 

The other shook her head. “See, this is what I’d hoped you would understand. Turn around now and I won’t have to act.” The Cat Captain had learned a long time ago that passive solutions weren’t her thing. 

“Forget it. I don’t know what you’re doing, but I do know that wiping someone’s memory is bad.” 

“Even if it means they don’t have to suffer?” The armored woman asked quietly. Catra shook her head. In the past she might have wanted to wipe the memories of anyone who was incompetent or who had wronged her. But now? 

_Damn it, Adora, you’re rubbing off on me._

“That’s up to them.” Catra said. The other woman drew back and then her hands glowed again as she pulled out the glowing sigil from her cloak. 

“Tayla!” All eyes went to the Guardian. He raised his staff and slammed it into the floor. The glow from the core increased and the strength of the burst of energy knocked Catra off her feet. The woman known as Tayla raised the sigil and muttered a spell. Where her hands were aimed a hole formed. It looked like a portal, but it seemed to be more jagged, like someone had literally ripped the air around them. The energy flowing from the rip was painful. Each gust of magic that spat from the tear felt like someone was hitting Catra with thousands of stones. 

“Tayla, stop. Whatever you’re trying to do, it won’t work!” The Guardian seemed to be pleading. Catra felt weird watching this. It was like looking in a mirror. “This isn’t right. You don’t have to do this.” 

“Yes.” Tayla said. “Yes, Milo. I do. And you can’t-stop me this time!” Her hands glowed brighter and washed over the entire room as the rip grew wide enough for Tayla to leap through. Then it faded and the room darkened. 

Catra stared at empty space. And then over at the core. It was still glowing, but it had dimmed somewhat. 

“What… the heck was that?” She directed at the Guardian. They walked over and raised their hands to the core. It glowed brighter for a second and then fizzled out. The Guardian sighed. 

“It’s a long story.” The Guardian said. “One best told with She-Ra present. This affects her the most.” 

Catra’s eyes narrowed. “Affects her how?” It wasn’t like she cared. But something inside of her grew angry when the name She-Ra came up without any mention of Adora. She couldn’t place what that was about. 

“That is for She-Ra to know.” The Guardian said. Catra growled and shoved the First One into the wall. 

“Cut the bullshit, alright? Maybe that type of vagueness worked on Adora or Glimmer or that weird woman just now, but it doesn’t on me. I’ve seen a ton of people just like you. All of them posture and don’t do shit. So, let me tell you what’s going to happen: you’re going to tell me what’s going on or…” She pointed her claws at the Guardian. 

A long sigh escaped them. “Tayla is…or was…my childhood friend.”


	7. Bonds that Bend, Bonds that Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora finally gets some information on what happened with the Guardian and Mara. But it doesn't give her the piece of mind she thought it would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi All,
> 
> Thank you all for your patience in waiting for this update. As I mentioned in my other notes, I participated in two back to back challenges: The Adorable Sparkle Challenge and Glimmadora Week 2.0 for 2020. All the fics for both challenges are now completed (except for "Burning Ground" which I am working on developing into a multi-chapter fic/series). Please go check those out if you have a chance. 
> 
> Now that both those challenges are over, I recommend checking out the fics I linked in my "Burning Ground" notes as well as any other contributors to the challenges.
> 
> Some quick notes about this chapter before you jump in:
> 
> As I've mentioned in previous notes for "Reverse" my running theory (neither confirmed nor denied by canon honestly) is that the reason Razz has a mixed up memory/lived a long time is because she has a connection to the magic of Etheria and to time travel. In this story the magic and time are interconnected, which lines up with a lot of what happens with reality and how the portal bends it. 
> 
> The power of the Guardian has to do with the ability to interpret some of the time related magics in this world. Since canon does show us some stuff about the vision from the Heart and of other moments where visions are presented to characters (like Razz's confused jumping between time frames-or that's how I choose to interpret it here) I decided to have the Guardian be someone whose purpose is specifically to interpret visions through magic. 
> 
> I'm planning to continue to go into this as the story goes on, but in case there's a need for clarification that's basically what's happening here. There are also a bunch of time skips that happen between each section. I think I clarified those in my writing, but I'm throwing that note here just in case. 
> 
> If you're looking for a great portal and alternate dimension story, I highly recommend "Adora: Vagabond of the Etherian Cosmos" by Say_Anything and EtherianFrigateBird. Linked: [Here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22977853/chapters/54931186%22)
> 
> Again, more stuff is linked in the notes of my "Burning Ground" story that I recommend checking out. 
> 
> Thanks for reading! I appreciate all the comments, kudos, and feedback you all provide. "Last Night On Earth" is next up on my update list and I may have another chapter of "Burning Ground" ready soon too. There will be small gaps in between posts just because I'm working on multiple stories and on artwork as well. So I appreciate your patience.

For the first time since they’d arrived on the First Ones’ planet, Adora felt like she had managed to convince the Guardian, who she had learned actually had a real name; Milo, to explain some things. She couldn’t be sure if they would disclose everything. After all, in all her experience, no one had ever given her a straight answer about anything having to do with She-Ra or her powers. Not Shadow Weaver, not Light Hope, and she couldn’t talk to Mara, so this was all she had left to go on. Wrestling the truth out of Milo was like pulling teeth. They didn’t want to share it. And now, Adora was starting to understand why. Catra had managed to, albeit forcefully, get Milo to admit that there was a personal element to this whole situation. 

“So, what do we call you?” Glimmer asked coolly from her place at Adora’s side. They were gathered in a lounge of sorts. Two cushioned chairs faced a longer greyish blue sofa couch where Adora and Glimmer sat. In the far corners and lining the walls were cushioned armchairs that Catra had been eyeing on and off. In between each armchair was a small table, presumably for setting either books, scrolls, or drinks on. 

In their respective seats, everyone had a drink of choice, though the blonde warrior had yet to touch hers. She didn’t find that she had an appetite or thirst for anything other than the truth. The blonde would have been pacing but Glimmer had directed her friend to sit after it was clear she was running herself into an anxious loop. Catra merely watched from her place in the doorway, arms folded against her chest and leaning against the jamb. To the outside viewer, she seemed calm, collected, confident even. But to anyone who knew the cat girl, she was full of conflicting emotions. On the one hand she was glad to have gotten something out of Milo, but on the other, she resented having anything to do with She-Ra. Old habits died hard and the Horde Captain wasn’t sure where she stood in all this. In the past, Adora had continually offered an olive branch. She had reached out, promised to take care of Catra, and even held onto their bond until she demanded Catra live with the choices she made when she opened the portal. The cat girl _wanted_ the world to end. That was real. But the desire to have Adora back, to rewind the clock and start over, like they had in the portal reality, Catra couldn’t decide if that was the world she wanted. 

A reality with Adora in the Horde was the only one she’d known before Adora left. Now though? Here before all of them, held by the whims of the Guardian was another piece of the puzzle that was Adora. A sour taste filled the cat girl’s mouth. Once there was a time when _she_ was the one who understood the blonde best. After all, only someone who knew Adora intimately could defeat her in combat. Only she knew how to get Adora to respond in just the right way. 

Two mismatched eyes watched Glimmer place a protective hand on Adora’s shoulder. The shoulders that had stood stiff and at a defensive attention, relaxed at the touch. Catra’s tail flicked rapidly from side to side. A sharp fan dug into her lip and she occasionally felt her fur twitching from the discomfort she felt at the overall situation. 

“You may continue to refer to me as the Guardian. That is my name.” Milo said. Adora’s eyes bore into them. 

“Your name is Milo though.” She said, clasping her hands together so tightly her knuckles turned white. “Why do you insist on asking people to call you by your title?” 

The Guardian regarded Adora and then looked from Glimmer to Adora and back. “Your title is a part of you, is it not?” They gestured to Glimmer. “You are a Queen. You do not stop being a Queen simply because you are away from Bright Moon.” They then looked back at Adora. “You _are_ She-Ra. No matter what happens to the sword or to you, that is who you are.” 

Glimmer frowned. “I’m the Queen, yes.” She tensed a little and Adora took her hand, running her fingers over the pink haired girl’s palm to try to ease the tension. Few things could break the blonde from her mission-oriented mind and sensing the distress in her friend’s body language was one of them. “But I’m still a person too.” Her purple eyes met Adora’s blue and the pink haired girl gave a curt nod of reassurance. The blonde stared hard at Milo. 

“Catra said you mentioned you knew Tayla from before.” Adora said. “I want answers.” The Guardian shifted in their chair. In their peripheral they could see Catra glaring over at them. As far as The Guardian was concerned, they didn’t know what Catra’s stake was in all this. Nor did she really. All they knew was that Catra was on the side of gaining information and it was slowly beginning to become obvious that avoiding any discussion of the subject at hand was futile. 

“Tayla and were both chosen for our roles by the Core. We were children, as were many of the others.” Milo looked over at Adora. “You know how that is… being a child soldier in the Horde.” At the mention of the Horde, the blonde’s eyes went to her hands, her teeth grinding against her lip. Catra’s claws dug into her forearms as her body tensed, pressing against the door frame. “For us, our roles were our sole purpose. To break with it would require a willpower that none of us possessed.” 

“Except Mara.” All eyes were on Adora now. “Mara broke it.” 

Milo’s eyes filled with a weariness that they had kept away until now. Their shoulders sagged and they leaned forward as though a massive boulder was pushing their body to the ground, crushing the air and the essence of their being into dust. “Yes. But it didn’t start out that way.” 

\---------- 

> Milo sat upright as they were given directions on how to review the scrolls before them. Tongue sticking out of the side of their mouth, they attempting to sort the subjects. Over their shoulder, the robed form of their instructor, Mentor, and the current Guardian, Nyla, stood, eyes locked on her pupil. Nyla had ram-like horns on either side of her head, grayish purple skin, and pointed ears. Her dark brown hair had silver wisps, signifying her later age, though she was hardly old by First Ones’ standards. While the First Ones had largely humanoid species on their planet, their expeditions over the last few centuries had brought other species to their planet, expanding their knowledge of the known universe, and of its magic. 
> 
> “Remember, a Guardian must take into account all aspects of each situation before enacting a decision.” The Guardian said. “Understanding our history will prepare you to guide everyone.” 
> 
> Milo’s eyes combed over yet another scroll describing in excruciating detail the history of how to mix the minerals for the buildings in their castle and it was just enough dry information that the trainee’s eyes started to cross. “Milo! Are you paying attention?” The young child jolted up and nodded vigorously. The Guardian pursed her lips. 
> 
> “I hope you are taking this seriously. If you do not understand this information, you will not be able to prevent disasters from occurring.” She explained. Milo sighed. They couldn’t imagine what in the known galaxy could possibly cause a disaster. Their entire race had recently begun to dabble in magic. It had done wonders for their entire economy and way of life. 
> 
> “But, Master Nyla, we have warriors, we have so many planets to explore, what could go wrong?” Milo pulled out a map. “We don’t even have any enemies.” 
> 
> The Guardian closed her eyes and shook her head slowly. Of course, explaining the realities of the world outside of the walls of their castle and training grounds was challenging. All that these trainees knew was what they had grown up with. If reality presented itself as being carefree, naturally they would believe it to be so. She couldn’t blame Milo for lacking the foresight to imagine the worst-case scenario. However, that was the Guardian’s duty. Others, like their warriors, were meant to act on the wisdom and foresight of the Guardian and the Council. But the Guardian needed to remain neutral until the pivotal moment. 
> 
> “No, not now.” Nyla agreed with a nod. Milo grinned in satisfaction. “But there will always be conflict. If there are differences and changes in the many species and an existence of magic, conflict will forever follow it.” 
> 
> Milo tilted their head and blew air exasperatedly through their lips. “That makes no sense though.” Nyla sighed. This would take longer than expected. Though Milo was correct about one thing. While there was a sense of peace, there was room to learn and room to grow at a steady pace. 
> 
> “It will. Give it time.” Nyla said and then lifted a hand and drew a rune in the air. The scrolls lifted and rolled up, tucking one by one into their respective slots along the walls of the Records Chamber. Milo stood, brushing themselves off at the sign that they were wrapping up their lesson for the day. 
> 
> “Master Nyla?” 
> 
> “Yes, Milo?” The Guardian looked down at the small child. They had no fears, no concerns, and a mind full of questions. It was nice to see, if not a byproduct of being too young to understand how the outside world. 
> 
> “Has…” They paused, biting their lip. The older Guardian placed a hand on the child’s shoulder. “Anyone ever failed to be a Guardian?” 
> 
> She laughed and shook her head. “No, Milo. No one fails their training.” A gentle push ushered the young student towards the door. “Go rest. Training will resume later this evening.” They grinned and ran up the stone steps. As they reached the top, they stopped in front of a dark-haired teen with brown skin bent over her own studies at one of the study tables. Further down was a small child around Milo’s age combing over a scroll detailing fighting forms. 
> 
> “Tayla!” Milo chirped and nearly tackled the girl at the end. The teen at the front smiled at the sight. She chuckled and returned to her work. 
> 
> “Ah, Milo, don’t push me. I’m trying to focus.” Tayla muttered and cast a nervous glance over her shoulder at the older girl. Milo looked between the two and shrugged. 
> 
> “You can focus later. Come on, let’s go eat!” Milo tugged the girl’s hand. She planted her feet, causing her stool to tip and then clatter out from underneath her as Milo pulled hard. 
> 
> “Gah!” 
> 
> “Whoa!” 
> 
> “What is going on here?” The two children snapped to attention at the sight of Master Nyla coming up from the Records Room. Her stern green eyes rested on Milo, who wilted in shame. 
> 
> “Sorry, Master Nyla, I was excited and knocked a chair over.” The child stared at their feet. The Guardian sighed. 
> 
> “Milo, go to the dining hall. Leave Tayla and Mara to study. Go.” The child didn’t need a second bidding before they were scrambling off to get away from the mess they’d made. Tayla snorted through her nostrils and reset the stool. 
> 
> “Oh, Milo wasn’t bothering me.” Mara said to Master Nyla. “It’s no problem, really. I think they’re just having fun.” 
> 
> Master Nyla shook her head. “It’s the principle of the matter.” She folded her arms into the sleeves of her robe. “Milo needs to focus and respect their studies if they are to advise others one day.” 
> 
> Mara tapped her pencil on her nose thoughtfully. “I don’t see why you can’t do both?” Master Nyla’s eyes regarded the teen. Mara took her responsibilities seriously enough. She was a role model to students like Tayla, and Milo, yet Mara still entertained ideas of frivolity. 
> 
> “Everyone has their responsibility.” The Guardian said plainly, and the teen took that as her cue to drop the subject. She looked over at Tayla, who almost had her nose pressed against the scroll she was reading and took a deep breath. It probably was for the best that they all focused on what they had to do. But somehow, Mara couldn’t see someone like Milo becoming like Nyla. They weren’t exactly the serious type. It struck her as almost absurd. She shrugged and returned to her own scroll. 

They had taken a brief break during Milo’s tale to eat and then they had continued. At this point Catra had found one of the armrest chairs at the far end of the room and was sitting in it sideways, her legs dangling over one of the armrests. Adora sat once more with Glimmer on one of the longer couches facing Milo. Glimmer was fading a little, but stubbornly kept her eyes open for the sake of staying with the blonde during this extensive story. 

Milo sipped from their mug of tea. Adora was staring at the Guardian unblinkingly. The expression on her face was hardened, not quite angry, but solemnly invested in what Milo was saying. Years of training herself to understand commands and instructions immediately after they were presented in the Horde left Adora with a sharp intuition for how to sort through information. However, in this case, the tale wasn’t a set of instructions, commands, or even a lesson disguised as a story. What Milo’s intention was, other than fulfilling Adora’s vicarious request through Catra, the blonde warrior couldn’t say. She scrutinized Milo. They reminded her of how she was before arriving at Bright Moon. The Guardian was focused, unfazed by external distractions or emotions. The dichotomy between the present Milo and the younger Milo they described was vast. Though it wasn’t Milo themselves that was the focal point of who had changed over the years. Regardless of however many years ago the events described in their tale had occurred, the true change in time came with Mara. It must have been a long time because Mara had lived hundreds of years ago. Adora rubbed her eyes. At that she wasn’t sure how old Madame Razz was. The older woman had been around for at least the same amount of time Mara had, if not longer. 

“It doesn’t make sense.” Adora said slowly. “Why would Tayla…do whatever it is that she did?” 

Milo set their mug down and threaded their fingers together in their lap, the tired expression returning to their face once more. “Tayla was an idealistic person. Even before she assumed her role as the Captain of the force that would eventually land on Etheria, it was her first mission in a command and to her… it was an utter failure.” 

\----- 

> Arrival on Etheria was exhilarating. There were so many living creatures that none of the crew of the First Ones Expedition had any experience with. Milo was fascinated and eager to study everything they found. They brought along notebooks and scrolls to take notes and make records of everything in sight. Tayla stood off to the side, her hands clasped behind her back as she stood watch over the small group of record keepers as they scurried around, excitedly talking about their findings. 
> 
> “Can you believe this?” Milo said, running up to her, holding out one of the small bugs they’d found. “It has wings, Tayla. I’ve never seen anything so incredible.” 
> 
> The other smiled as Milo held out their hand for Tayla to see the small creature as it crawled along their forearm. “It is…” Her eyes lifted to see Mara standing off in the distance, laughing with a short older woman that they had come to know as Razz. She was as curious as the rest of this planet. “Beautiful.” 
> 
> Milo’s eyes went from Mara to Tayla, following her gaze. They smirked and nudged the other. “Hey, come on, Tay. You have work to do.” 
> 
> “Right…yeah.” She blinked and then trailed behind Milo as they trekked further into the woods. A crew was already set on building a small town in the woods with their tech lines running through the ground. The newly promoted Corporal walked along the construction site grounds, receiving salutes from the working builders as well as the soldiers. All of them were equally engrossed in the wonders of the woods as Milo had been. 
> 
> “So,” Milo said with a grin. “Are you going to tell her?” 
> 
> “What?” Tayla blurted with a slight blush. “Tell who what?” 
> 
> Milo snorted. “Tell Mara that you like her. I mean, come on. The only reason she hasn’t noticed is Mara is too busy and kinda oblivious to anything not related to She-Ra.” 
> 
> Tayla wrinkled her nose at her friend. Milo was nothing if not observant. It had only gotten worse as time went on because they were constantly honing their skills for observation and prediction. For a short period of time they had studied under one of the Sorcerers at the Castle to learn some basic spells for foresight. Now it was far more intuitive. It was only a matter of time before Milo would be able to predict things with the same accuracy as Master Nyla. 
> 
> “She _should_ be focused on She-Ra.” Tayla stated, missing Milo’s point entirely. The Guardian in training raised an eyebrow. 
> 
> “Riiiight. And you are completely focused on the mission and not at all thinking about how nice Mara’s hair is.” 
> 
> “I wasn’t focused on her hair!” 
> 
> “Oh, you like her smile then?” 
> 
> “Grah! You’re impossible!” Tayla grunted and shoved Milo as she stalked off in the opposite direction. The Guardian trainee sighed and shook their head. A wistful look came over their face as Nyla approached from the far end of the construction site. 
> 
> “Ah, there you are, Milo.” Nyla said, pausing as she watched Tayla walk off. She took one look at Milo’s face and then at Tayla’s disappearing form and then hummed thoughtfully. 
> 
> “You saw something, didn’t you?” The Guardian asked. Milo’s brow creased as they concentrated. 
> 
> “Vaguely. I just got a feeling… like I should be warning Tayla about something. But I don’t know what.” Milo sighed and looked over at their master. It had been almost five years since their training had begun and Milo was closer to Nyla’s height than ever. “Ugh, that’s not useful at all!” 
> 
> Nyla smiled and placed a hand on her pupil’s shoulder. “Being a Guardian isn’t just knowing exactly what to do based on a vision. It’s also about figuring out the messages in between the lines.” She closed her eyes and then nodded. “I can feel the same thing as you. But I think you will be able to sense it fully when the time comes. You’re closest to Tayla, you will know what to do when it’s time.” 
> 
> Milo sighed. “I hope you’re right.” 

\----

Milo paused once more to sip their tea and stood to stretch their legs after sitting for so long. Adora shifted lightly, trying not to jostle her sleeping companion. Over the course of the last hour or so Glimmer had fallen asleep on Adora’s shoulder. The blonde felt her heart straining to know more about her past. But it was hard to feel like she was yearning or disconnected when the weight of Glimmer’s head and the combined nuzzling she did against Adora’s neck was all she needed in the present to ground her. The warrior wasn’t sure if the Queen was aware of what she was doing. If she was, she didn’t show it by waking up or directly looking at the warrior. Tentative fingers brushed some pink strands of hair from the Queen’s face. 

The Guardian watched this exchange silently. When Adora looked up they had leaned forward and were watching the warrior pensively. Catra had also fallen asleep in her chair and was snoring loudly, her tail twitching. Adora’s raised brow, silently voicing the unasked question behind the ongoing silence. “There is still much to tell.” Milo stated. She frowned. There was no end to the vagueness or the stalling that appeared to be the theme of the Castle of Grayskull. The warrior continued stare through Milo, her expression growing stonier as she turned away from Glimmer. A sharp incline of her head urged the Guardian forward. 

> The first of many of the villages to reach completion was Alwyn. It was set with a communication hub and the teams of First Ones celebrated by sending some messages back to their home planet. The rest period left Milo with some time to wander and gather more information. Etheria was proving to be far more intriguing than they’d anticipated. They slowly made their way through the woods, a pack stuffed with scrolls, pens, and record books to keep track of anything of interest. The problem, they found with some amusement, was that _everything_ was delightfully attention grabbing. Every creature they found seemed to have mysterious energy to it. Milo had some experience with magic because of the Sorcerers who had taught them. But none of their spells or studies felt like whatever magic Etheria had. Their curiosity led them to a small clearing where creatures milled around without a care and the air had glowing particles of magic in it. The word that came to mind with the magic here was that it was _free_. All the other places that Milo encountered with magic were controlled in a painstakingly meticulous manner. Not that they were opposed to it. Something like this was exhilarating. As their eyes roamed over the foliage, they noticed the ground and air shifted more around some of the moss covering what appeared to be a wall of some kind. They approached, making some notes, and doing a quick sketch of the area before continuing forward. 
> 
> Their hand brushed against the foliage covering the wall and their eyes went wide. The feeling was like the soft fluff of an animal, soft and soothing to the touch. They pushed it back and found themselves in the middle of a place surrounded by even more magical glowing particles than before. The whole area seemed to be inhaling and exhaling, and every “breath” let loose a flurry of sparkles. Milo’s smile broadened and they sat down, vigorously sketching everything in sight. Every single creature, every plant, and the pure energy of the planet itself. Etheria was _alive_. 
> 
> “Adora?” The young Guardian in training looked up to see a woman with silvery white hair, oversized glasses, and holding a broom standing over them. “Oh, you are not Adora. Where is that girl?” 
> 
> Milo blinked at this strange woman. _Who was Adora?_ Their mind then blanked as they followed the particles swirling around their head now. Their eyes glowed and then they found themselves staring at another part of the Whispering Woods. There in front of the Sword of Protection, the same one that Milo had seen Mara carry with her everywhere, was a tall blonde figure. 
> 
> They blinked and the figure shifted back to appearing to be Mara. “Mara?” _Whump._
> 
> Milo rubbed their head as they looked up at the woman standing over them. Their head hurt. Had she hit them? “I said _Adora_ not _Mara_. Pah, silly child knows nothing.” The woman started to walk away. 
> 
> “Wait!” Milo called and ran to catch up with this older woman, who was fast on her feet despite her apparent age. They were practically running to keep up with the woman. She slowed but didn’t turn around. “I saw something.” They breathed hard as the woman stopped, turning to look down at them. “What… _was_ that?” 
> 
> “Madame Razz has better things to do than teach a silly child.” The woman said and as casually as ever, used her broom as a walking stick. Milo followed once more, still perplexed, yet completely engrossed now in finding out who this woman was and what was going on. 
> 
> “I’m not a silly child.” Milo huffed, partially out of indignation and partly out of exhaustion. “Actually, I’m not a child at all. ” This Razz sure liked to move fast and the Guardian in training wasn’t sure how much longer they could keep up. Tayla could run for hours, but that was because she had endurance training. Milo didn’t have much in the way of muscles. “I just want to know what I saw. You have to know what this place is.” 
> 
> Razz stopped abruptly, causing Milo to trip over a root and face plant into the ground when they tried to avoid walking into her back. “Hmm. No, you are not like the others, are you?” She looked down at Milo, who spat a leaf out of their mouth and brushed the dirt from their clothes as they stood up. 
> 
> “Wait, _others_?” 
> 
> “Yes, Silly Child,” Razz said. “Those others building in the Whispering Woods. They know nothing of the magic here.” Milo frowned. So, she knew about the First Ones’ expedition here. From the sound of her voice Milo could tell that Razz wasn’t pleased. 
> 
> “We’re just trying to find a new place to live.” Milo explained. Razz whacked them again and the young Guardian in training was starting to wonder if they should open their mouth at all if all it got them was a smack on the head. 
> 
> “Nothing good will come of it. Best to go back home.” She said with a dismissive wave of her hand. Razz paused then looked over at Milo, who instinctively flinched in anticipation of the broom. “You _are_ different. Yes, like Mara.” 
> 
> Milo licked their lips nervously. “What do you mean by that? Does it have to do with the magic?” 
> 
> Razz nodded. “Sorcerers know nothing. Magic is not something that exists from outside of us. Magic is existence.” Since meeting Razz, that statement appeared to be the most cohesive and lucid thing she’d said so far. Milo slowly mulled over the words. If what she’d said was true, then using magic, manipulating it, and bending it, wasn’t good for Etheria. But that couldn’t be what she was saying, could it? The whole idea seemed ludicrous. Razz didn’t strike Milo as the most reliable source of information either. 
> 
> “Madame Razz?” Milo said, the words feeling strange on their lips. “Are you saying that magic isn’t meant to be used?” 
> 
> The older woman’s eyes went to a cloud of magical flurries as they floated by. The whole forest thrived as they spoke. “It’s always the same, Dearie. Everyone seeks power. It’s all happened before. Tragedy follows.” 
> 
> Milo’s eyes flickered with the magic around them and their mind flashed with images of fighting, a sickly green banner with two red wings, and once again that blonde warrior. “I won’t tell them about this place.” 
> 
> Razz sighed and then smiled, ruffling Milo’s hair. “They know the magic is here, Milo. Perhaps my Mara knows what to do.” 
> 
> Milo’s eyes went wide. “You- wait-how do you know Mara?” 
> 
> “It is not her time yet. Adora should be here soon.” Razz muttered as she started to walk away. Milo followed, confusion and questions congesting their mind. Then it occurred to them that Razz mentioned their name. How did Razz know who Mara was? Who they were? Who was this Adora person? 
> 
> “Who is Adora?” Milo blurted. “I don’t understand anything you’re saying!” They clenched their fists and as they thrust out with their hand, the flurries blurred and formed a curtain of a water-like film. Through it faded voices seeming to come from through multiple layers or doors barely reached Milo’s ears. They cast a panicked series of glances around as they spiraled around in a circle to figure out where they were. As far as they could tell, they were still in Whispering Woods, but something was different. 
> 
> “What…?” Milo breathed. A hand touched their shoulder. 
> 
> “This is the first time for you, isn’t it, Dearie?” Razz asked. Milo had no idea how to answer that question since they didn’t even know _what_ was happening. 
> 
> “I don’t understand.” Milo stated flatly, perpetually exhausted by this whole experience. Razz wasn’t explaining anything and as more information was presented or as the Guardian in Training observed more about Etheria, the more confusing and infuriating the whole situation became. “What’s happening?” 
> 
> Madame Razz clicked her tongue in disapproval. “Pay attention. Silly Child knows nothing. This is magic at its purest form. When magic is used or manipulated, it loses its ability to retain memories.” 
> 
> Milo frowned. “Memories?” The young Guardian glanced around. “This…” They approached the film, lifting a hand as if to touch it, then withdrew. “We shouldn’t be doing anything to this.” They turned to Razz. “That’s what the foresight was telling me. The planet needs to be left alone.” 
> 
> Razz nodded simply. Milo’s brow creased. “Will they listen to me?” They looked over at the older woman. The film faded and the forest returned to normal around the two of them. She blinked. 
> 
> “Who are you?” Razz said, adjusting her glasses and blinking before frowning at the other. Milo stared in a mixture of irritation and utter exasperation. 
> 
> “I’m _Milo_! We’ve been…” They groaned. “Oh, Blast the Stars! Never mind. I have to go. Maybe I can stop them from tampering with the magic somehow.” They didn’t wait for a response before lifting the moss flap to exit back to the rest of the woods. Razz watched them go and then returned to her hut. 

\-----

“You met Madame Razz?” Adora blurted, startling both Milo and waking Glimmer with her sudden movements. The Queen opened one eye and glared up at her friend in bleary groggy sleepiness. She wasn’t cognizant enough to process what had just happened. 

Milo nodded. “I knew she would meet you. But I didn’t realize who you were just from the foresight vision. The power is, unfortunately, not terribly accurate or precise.” 

Adora folded her arms across her chest and grunted. Though it was Catra who chimed in with a sarcastic, “Wow. How incredibly _convenient_. A power that doesn’t tell you how to do shit.” 

Milo’s cold gaze fell on Catra. “Powers, whether they come from magic or somewhere else, have limitations for a reason.” The answer was measured, but the Guardian’s form radiated a tempered anger that flared in their eyes whenever Catra opened her mouth. It was gone almost instantaneously, as though Milo practiced the art of hiding and compartmentalizing their emotions. But it was there, and it was building with every passing moment. 

Catra let out a lout hollow laugh that made the hairs on Adora’s skin stand on end. She’d almost forgotten that the cat-girl was still technically a Horde Captain and power was one of the things she craved. At the sound of Catra’s voice, Glimmer sat up a little. She took one look at Adora’s set jaw and hardened blue eyes before she took the blonde’s hand. The gesture was acknowledged but the warrior wasn’t done and neither, apparently, was Catra. The Cat Captain continued her tirade. “What reason? So, you can be weak?” 

Milo’s jaw twitched at the word weak. They addressed the blonde warrior, though it had been Catra who had spoken out. “My powers of foresight are limited to the magic I gleaned from the Core. Just as the powers you have, Adora, come from the magic of the Core for She Ra. The Core itself is just magic. If you don’t hone your skills, the powers mean nothing. Similarly, if you abuse its purpose, the magic will cease to work as intended.” 

Catra scoffed. “Sounds useless.” She bit her lip as she spoke. The image of the towering form of She Ra as she stepped outside the portal, smashing it to bits, and then the giant warrior turning to face the cat girl with a rage like Catra had never seen before filled the blue eyes that the cat-girl never thought could become cold or furious. She’d assumed Adora was incapable of being angry enough to lash out or to be destructive. In that moment, the image of Adora as a purist who wouldn’t cross any lines to defend what she believed in, shattered into a million pieces. In that moment she wasn’t Adora. The protective warrior had taken over and in the place of the mortal known as Adora was a wrathful goddess. 

As the shards fell away, Catra saw her former best friend as the most terrifying force to behold. Whatever the First Ones had used to create She Ra, it wasn’t beholden to the same rules as Milo’s foresight. That, or there was something the Guardian was still not disclosing about She Ra. It wouldn’t be hard for Catra specifically since she already knew next to nothing when it came to She Ra outside of strategies on how to defeat the magical goddess. Her information had been purely strategic. It still was, but something inside of her wanted to give Adora the answers she deserved. Mainly because Milo severely pissed-off the cat-girl, or at least that was the reason she officially gave herself. There wasn’t anything else to it. 

“You are a warrior, are you not?” Milo asked Catra. The cat-girl lifted a brow in response before giving a curt nod. “Then you know that there are limitations to the body and that no amount of training can keep every fault at bay.” Their eyes bore into Catra, the girl shifting a little in discomfort. “We all fail eventually.” 

Adora broke the silence that followed. “So, the First Ones were the ones who started to use and destroy the magic on Etheria?” Milo’s eyes softened a little as they turned to the blonde. Whatever they saw in Adora, it left them with a sympathetic expression. It was Adora’s job to protect Etheria. One she still felt responsible for even without the Sword of Protection. 

“We were. Not intentionally, but even with the things I told the Council or the Expedition task force about the planet’s magic, they still decided to move forward. I kept everything to myself about Razz and the memories…but of course, I should have known that Mara and Razz were meant to meet whether I did anything or not.” Their gaze went to the floor. Adora’s hands clenched her pants and her whole body went rigid. 

Glimmer looked at her friend, worry etched on her face. The blonde was stoically silent, and all the mirth was absent from her features. “So that’s it, huh? Destiny is what it is?” Her face ripped back up in an abrupt snap like motion, her blood shot eyes full of anger now directed at the Guardian. “You _made_ me into She-Ra and now I can’t even do the _one_ thing you actually wanted me to? That you wanted Mara to?!” 

The room went completely silent as a grave. Not even Catra had something to say. Her mismatched eyes were fixed on Adora, who had stood up, her hands balled into fists, and furious tears streaking down her face. Glimmer wanted nothing more than to calm the tremors running through the blonde, but she was also aware of how sensitive the blonde was now. Touching may not have been a welcome gesture. 

“What about Light Hope?” Adora asked. 

\------ 

> Milo stood, their newly gifted Guardian robes tripping them as they approached the council assembled in semi-circle of chairs. Tayla was at their right and Mara to the left. 
> 
> “In light of Guardian Milo’s revelations, we believe that it is important to have a way to guide our protector in her work.” One of the council members said. There was a collective nodding amongst the committee members. Mara continued to smile, but she also looked a little nervous. Up until now she’d been able to work on her own. But this was new territory. A living planet could pose more issues along the way. They needed a roadmap and guidelines. The First Ones were nothing if not dedicated to their guidelines. Structure had always been one of Tayla’s focal points. Milo cast a glance over at the newly minted Lieutenant. She’d been promoted over the course of the last few years on Etheria as Milo had officially taken over as a probationary Guardian. They were still learning, but they officially met with the council and advised on minor issues. This was an important moment for all of them to prove their worth on. 
> 
> “I believe I have a solution.” Tayla said. She’d vaguely explained some sparse details of her plan to Milo and some to Mara, though she wanted to keep the main presentation for the Council, so, the rest remained a secret Milo was eagerly awaiting the reveal of as much as anyone else in the room. “I had one of our inventors create a program that could connect to the planet and guide She-Ra.” Tayla waved her hand as one of the First Ones’ Senior Inventors stepped forward and tapped a data pad to display a hologram. “Her name is Light Hope. I had her programmed to fulfill the goals of our Expedition and with all the training protocols of She-Ra.” 
> 
> All the Council members nodded and after some conversation, the head of the Council turned to Tayla. “Excellent work, Lieutenant. This is the break-through we need to harness this planet’s magic.” 
> 
> Milo’s face paled. “Um, if I may, Council Leader,” They said, their voice shaking. “What about the life here? We can’t just ignore that.” 
> 
> The head of the Council’s attention left Tayla and turned stony. “Guardian Milo, your input is not welcome on this matter. We will move forward with the Light Hope Protocol. Mara will train under Light Hope’s guidance.” 
> 
> Milo bit their lip. No one had seen what they had. Even Mara seemed perfectly oblivious to what could happen. To be honest, Milo didn’t know exactly how deep the damage of tampering with the magic would be, only that the tethers keeping the magic from spiraling out of control were fragile. They needed more information and maybe someone would listen. 

\------ 

> Mara staggered out, sword in hand, her body was on fire, the Heart had been activated and she needed to get it to stop. Just long enough to hide the planet. She tapped the communication pad in her hand. 
> 
> “Mara? What’s going on? The whole planet is glowing. We’re waiting for you here.” Milo’s voice crackled through the pad. “What happened?” 
> 
> “Get out of here, Milo. The planet’s magic, everything… I have to make sure no one else finds it.” The only sound was the crackling of the static on Milo’s end for a minute. 
> 
> “What about _you_?” They asked hollowly. But they already knew the answer. No matter how hard they’d tried to find a way around this, no matter how many objections they threw up, no one listened, no one cared. The Grayskull Faction was the last semblance of hope on Etheria. The faction they had formed with Mara. They knew Tayla would be looking for Mara. The warrior couldn’t be found. If Tayla knew where Milo was, she’d find Mara. Milo knew all this, had seen it, and it was the absolute last thing they could hope to prevent. Everything else had been a failure. 
> 
> “You need to get them off this planet. Will you do that for me?” Mara asked. Milo clenched their own data pad tightly. 
> 
> “Don’t do this, Mara.” Milo breathed. 
> 
> “I have to, Milo. No one else can.” Mara said. “Get everyone off this planet and make sure they never come back.” 
> 
> “Mara-” 
> 
> “I’m sorry, Milo. I have to go.” The warrior said and clicked off the pad to the sound of the other screaming her name. She turned and ran for the ship. The next thing either of them knew the planet was pulled into another dimension and was never seen from again for hundreds of years. At the same time Milo piloted a ship full of evacuated First Ones on a set course for their home with Horde Prime’s forces on their heels. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!


	8. Paths Laid in Stone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adora, Glimmer, and Catra find out more about She Ra's origins and the runestones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi All,
> 
> Sorry this chapter took so long to be uploaded. I finished it yesterday but AO3 was down for some reason. I'm incrementally working on the next chapter for "Last Night on Earth" but I may not get to finish it past this week. The week started off a bit slow so I was able to finish this chapter of "Albatross" before I focused on my quarter assignments. So, when I'm on break in March "Last Night on Earth" will be the first fic I update. 
> 
> In this chapter I'm slowly building into the ideas I had for the origins of the runestones (in rewatching some of the earlier episodes I paid attention to what Entrapta says about how the First Ones built a grid under Etheria and the runestones control it through the Heart of Etheria/magic power). So I took some of those concepts and ran with them to come up with concepts for what the First Ones did (since Season 5 didn't tell us much- I'm making it up). 
> 
> I also made a playlist on Spotify for this story (I forgot to post it last time I updated. Whoops).  
> You can listen to it [here](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/12cwJzH5r5DjUkOEP8HRgZ?si=W4xl40JnTS6RxOuACcAE0w)
> 
> Also, I am incredibly grateful for everyone who has commented, left kudos, and supported my work in this last year. This past year was brutal and having the Glimmadora community here on AO3 as well as the Discord made it so much better. So thank you to all of you on the Discord and beyond for commenting and talking about She Ra with me, it made everything so much better. Athetos, Say_Anything, Count Dorku, Eritas- you all are amazing. 
> 
> On that note: I reached 1K kudos! Thank you again to everyone who has commented and left kudos on my work. You all are amazing. Don't stop being awesome. 
> 
> Let me know what you think! See you all in March when I'm off again. =) I will still be responding to comments and stuff, but I won't be writing much so I can focus on my classwork.

Once, perhaps a long time ago, a younger Adora might have argued that there was only one path that could be called the right one and it was the one laid out by the Horde. Each fraction of a second was planned out to an exacted excruciatingly precise level of detail. Any hair out of place, any deviation, or doubt meant failure. At that time, in the small part of her mind buried by screaming sergeants, training bruises, and the absence of a positive role model, slept the feeling that there could be another way. Hope had been as foreign a taste on her tongue as the flavors she’d discovered upon defecting. The initial feeling was a shock, but in a nice way that she continued to seek out. She found she enjoyed the option to be surprised, to not know what each day would bring. For someone whose elaborate strategies were the stuff of high-ranking Horde commanders, the idea that she could like being free enough to fall, but to have someone there to catch her if she did. No one tried in the Horde. No one needed to. 

“You left her.” Adora’s voice rattled with anger she didn’t even realize she’d been holding back. “She was risking her life and you left her!” Milo didn’t respond, shame crossing their features. 

“I had no choice.” 

“No. You did. You _always_ have a choice. And you chose to abandon her.” A short stretch of silence followed by a low laugh from the back of the room. 

“That’s rich, Adora. If Master Wise Ass here had a choice, then so did _you_.” All eyes were on the fully awake cat girl in the back of the room. She wasn’t sitting in her chair any longer and was standing, arms folded as she glared at Adora. Her tail twitched agitatedly. 

Glimmer sat up, her body tensing as she looked between the two other girls. Adora had intermittently mentioned how challenging leaving Catra behind had been. But it hadn’t quite registered with Glimmer until recently just how much bitterness Catra herself might be harboring for Adora’s actions. The Queen didn’t blame Adora for leaving. In many ways she was relieved that Adora hadn’t stayed and wished with all her heart that the warrior hadn’t grown up in the Fright Zone at all. 

Glimmer once more poised herself, ready to jump into action as she always had when it came to Catra. To the surprise of all present, Adora remained calmly quiet for a long enough time for even Catra to become suspicious. Her brow creased. 

“Well?” Catra demanded. Adora finally looked up, her blue eyes were wet, and her teeth gritted. 

“Well, _what_?” Adora snapped with equal fury. The same anger that Adora had unleashed not too long ago was back with a new thirst. “What do you want me to say, Catra? That I regret leaving you?” The cat girl swallowed but held her stance, her eyes still attempting to burn through Adora, to connect and somehow breach this wall that the blonde had been building over the last few years. 

“That would be a first!” Catra snarled. She stepped closer and Glimmer’s hands instinctively glowed, ready to deliver a blow. Adora barely noticed as she too stood up and stared down her former friend. 

“No, it wouldn’t.” Adora said flatly. The anger in her tone was low and rumbled with the embers of the bridge that had burned between them. At the last syllable it went out and her voice was simply sad. 

“You should have come with me!” Catra and Adora looked over at the new source of sound. A hologram had appeared in the room, flickering, and in it was a much younger looking Milo and Tayla. 

“Why? This planet has magic! It needs to be harvested. Why can’t you see the potential?” Tayla argued. Milo’s body tensed. Their eyes showed a small amount of frustration and panic as Tayla moved away. 

“You’re destroying _life_ , Tayla. Life that we have no right to take for ourselves.” The image then flickered and vanished as Milo held out a glowing hand. 

Catra was the first to recover from the strange appearance of what, from the worry lines on Milo’s face, an unintentional memory reveal. “What the hell was that?” She spat at Milo. “If this is some kind of lesson bullshit-” 

“Enough!” The commanding bellow silenced the room. Milo took a deep breath. “Catra, your emotions, and yours, Adora, have a powerful influence on this place. Our magic, or rather, the magic and technology the First Ones created, responds to emotions and to beliefs. It was built to sustain heavy tasks and missions. But it was corrupted a long time ago.” 

Adora froze. Her memories of the moments when the sword was corrupted weren’t completely clear, but she knew it felt like she had been experiencing things from someone else’s point of view. The First Ones Temple on Etheria also tapped into her memories as well. She flicked her eyes to Catra as she spoke. “When you say corrupted, what does that mean for anyone with magic?” 

The path of righteousness was one that Adora had been learning was an idealistic concept at best. She’d fought her whole life on the principle that when she won a battle, that was the end of the moral argument. As if a stance could be won on the point of a sword or the blast of a laser. Time would prove her to be a fool of monumental proportions. Those who were good at heart rarely lived and those who were cruel and selfish would win at any cost. It was laughable in her mind now that she believed that someday she’d learn what the right path was. All she knew was that the one she’d spent her life believing in, the one she’d nearly killed herself over, and the one she left her best friend for, wasn’t right. Leaving Catra, that wasn’t good. But then why did finding a better place feel so right? 

By her previous standards it shouldn’t have felt like she’d found something worth fighting for. But she also couldn’t stand the idea that her actions were hurting innocent people. She’d told Catra as much. For the first time Adora realized maybe Catra’s ideas of what was right and wrong weren’t the same. 

Catra used the sword’s corruption to make Adora attack her friends. No matter how many times the warrior revisited the memories, it never added up. Adora wanted to believe Catra had the same goals at heart. But that hope, that wish, after Catra opened the portal, it vanished. The anger that Adora felt when she emerged as She Ra and glared at Catra with all the burning fury of a thousand dying stars as they exploded from existence. Each one was a sliver of the dreams that the two shared as kids. 

Milo folded their arms into their sleeves and fixed the blonde warrior with a weary stare and then in a cool tone replied, “I think you know.” 

Adora thought for a moment. The First Ones had selfishly and recklessly taken magic from Etheria. That much Razz had made clear to Adora. Before the warrior hadn’t had the full picture of the past, but now with Milo’s narrative, it was all connecting. The First Ones settled Etheria and its magic became a tool, harnessed, and manipulated for purposes beyond its original intent. 

“The runestones.” Adora’s mind clicked. Milo’s eyes fixated on Glimmer now. The Queen’s hands were clenched tightly in her lap as the words floated in the air, stifling it, and making her throat catch in small sharp breaths. As the ruler of Bright Moon Glimmer had made some difficult decisions. She’d inherited the kingdom in its darkest hour, and it had, under her command, slipped into absolute desolation. They were losing left and right. In her desperation Glimmer had made the decision to activate the Heart of Etheria. 

The new Queen had hurt her friends, risked everything, and hurt Adora. She’d questioned the blonde’s loyalty because the warrior had tried to do the right thing. The warrior always did. Even if she made mistakes, they were all made to better the world, to protect it, and if Glimmer had been listening, she would have known that. She did now and it wasn’t something she was about to forget. This time she would stand with the warrior. They were always stronger together. 

Adora looked down at her hands, some part of her hoping, foolishly, perhaps, that the sword would be there or that she might figure out a way to forcefully will it into existence. There wasn’t anything in her hands now and if she could stop lying to herself, she’d admit there wouldn’t be any power for her ever again. Anything she did now was with her human hands. 

“We have to go back.” Adora said, standing. “Etheria, no, the First Ones…made some mistakes. Ones that I can’t fix. But I have to try.” Glimmer was still tense, but she’d managed to follow Adora’s conversation long enough to wonder what she’d missed. 

> Milo sprinted through the woods; their breathing was labored. All around were members of Eternia’s guard and some sorcerers. They were all traveling in small groups, runes drawn in the air and on the ground as the planet screamed. Only Milo could hear it as far as they could tell. It was a hard sound to miss. 
> 
> They stopped, pausing to check over their shoulder before heading into the small shack in the wood. The normal glowing orbs or “breaths of magical air” as Milo had started to refer to them in their research journal were darkening and disappearing the further the teams of Eternia’s extractors reached into the woods. 
> 
> “Madame Razz!” They called, pushing back the flap to the small house. The older woman turned at the sudden arrival. 
> 
> “Ah, Milo. I was not expecting you until later. Or maybe it is later?” She shook her head. The young Guardian leaned over their knees as they caught their breath. Madame Razz wasn’t, as usual, startled by much. It made Milo wonder what she’d seen. She had some insights into the planet that couldn’t be found simply from direct observation. 
> 
> “I couldn’t stop them.” Milo said. Madame Razz paused in her sweeping or whatever it was that she was doing with the broom when Milo arrived. She looked up into the tired eyes of the young Eternian. For the last few weeks Milo had been trying to talk to the council about slowing down the extraction of magic. The Guardian had seen the continued decay of the planet because of the hunting of magical creatures that helped keep the magic flourishing. 
> 
> Madame Razz looked up, her expression weary but not indicative of any surprise. “What do I do?” 
> 
> “It’s all right, Dearie. You will know what to do.” Madame Razz said. Milo gritted their teeth. Some of Razz’s lessons or information was helpful. She knew more about the planet than anyone that Milo had met so far. But her vagueness, when Milo was on the verge of losing the fight to save what was left of the magic served to twist the knife in their side. 
> 
> “I _don’t_ know what to do, Madame Razz. Why do you think I’m here? You’re the only person who can help me!” 
> 
> Madame Razz shook her head and shuffled over to pick up her basket. “Come, we will go berry picking.” 
> 
> “This isn’t the time!” 
> 
> The older woman clicked her tongue disapprovingly. “What do you know of time, hm?” Milo stopped, stuck between anger and confusion. The two emotions juggled and battled for domination as the answer to Razz’s question for long enough that she continued to talk in their place. “You don’t know right _now_ , Milo. Because you are looking at the now. Life is made up of more than just the present.” 
> 
> She walked over to the closest orb and as it passed through to the healthier part of the woods, it glowed bright and seemed to be reborn. Razz caught it on her palm and held it out to Milo. 
> 
> “Magic will always remember what it is meant to be. Past, present… Madame Razz can’t remember where it all began.” She waved her hand and the orb floated away to join a flurry of other magical orbs. “You must find a way to preserve it. But it must be allowed to breathe.” 
> 
> Milo thought for a moment. The ways that the Eternians were drawing magic was less like a unified channeling or a shared lifeblood; like those wielding it were using the magic as an extension of a shared life between them. It was more like a parasite, sucking the planet dry for selfish reasons and leaving nothing in its place. 
> 
> It reminded Milo of the way Mara talked about sword training. Like the blade was an extension of herself. It was as much tied to her emotions as it was to her existence. All the power she had come from magic, but she never took it for granted. If anyone understood the way magic was meant to be, it was Mara. She Ra understood because she had to make peace with the weapon she wielded. The weapon was part of the transaction, but the real core magic was inside the user. 
> 
> “We’re out of time.” Milo said. They could feel the way the orbs were shaking, as if the extractions were suffocating them into submission. How could no one else feel this? They wondered if Mara could feel the pain of Etheria. “Aren’t we?” 
> 
> Razz nodded. “I’m afraid so, Dearie.” Milo licked their lips and glanced around at the parties of extractors as they drew closer to the remaining woods. 
> 
> “I have to hide this. I don’t know how.” They said out loud, more to themselves than to Razz. “We have to protect this.” 
> 
> Razz picked some berries and then dropped them into her basket. The two walked, picking as they went, the reality of it all sinking in as Milo walked. “When you see Mara, tell her to come find me.” 
> 
> “Dearie?” For the first time Razz seemed unmoored. She didn’t know about this part. If she had a way to see the future or its paths the way Milo did, she couldn’t see this part for some reason. 
> 
> “The only way to keep the magic is to seal it. I’m not a sorcerer, but I know it’s something we can do.” Milo took their basket and emptied its contents into Razz’s. Their smile held for the short fragment of a moment they had with the strange woman. She was still an enigma but was still one of the few good things that kept Etheria alive in the ways it should be. Maybe they would know one day what Razz knew. But then again, they knew it could be undone once learned. Magic was like that after all. It was all time, not just one. 
> 
> Eternians were focused on the present alone. They didn’t care about the future or the history written in the floating orbs and in the animals, creatures, and beasts that roamed the planet’s surface. 
> 
> “Madame Razz, thank you for everything you’ve taught me.” Milo said. The woman reached out but then the world shifted, a screen of film washing away that moment. In its place was the drained woods, some broken trees and parts of Horde bots scattered as evidence of years of war. 
> 
> “Gone. Always gone.” Madame Razz murmured as she took her now full basket back to her home. 

Adora looked at Milo as if seeing them for the first time. Shadow Weaver, Light Hope, the Horde, and everyone else she’d met so far had lied to her or kept the truth from her about who she was. Or in some cases, told her the absolute bare minimum to satisfy her curiosity. But the more she knew, the more she realized she knew nothing at all. 

For a minute she felt like she’d figured out what the First Ones had done. Then, as she stood, intent on figuring out where to go from there, she could see from the confusion in Glimmer’s eyes and the fury still burning in Catra’s mismatched ones that the warrior understood little of the world she was destined to protect. After all, the world was not simply something that could be reduced to just one person’s point of view. 

“Adora, what’s going on?” Glimmer asked. The honest answer was that all at once the warrior couldn’t fathom the full picture. It seemed that not even Milo could do that. They had aged through the suffering of the galaxy. Each dying planet, each shooting star, each blast fired, eroded away the individual who had once fought by Mara’s side. 

“The Runestones…” Adora said slowly. “Aren’t meant to exist.” 

Glimmer looked from Milo to the warrior, confusion growing. “I don’t understand.” 

Milo took a deep breath. “Perhaps it is better if I show you.” Adora stared at Milo. There had to be a catch. Some reason why Milo would willingly disclose any information on what happened to Etheria in its final days before it was dragged into Despondos. Before the Horde even showed up to destroy what the First Ones left behind. 

Milo stepped forward and this time deliberately pressed their hand, glowing, to their forehead and then to the glowing red panel on the wall. It lit with First Ones writing and then the room vanished except for the four people standing in it, the furniture and space replaced with a projected hologram of Bright Moon. 

Glimmer had to double take to realize it was in fact Bright Moon. Because where the Moon Tower would be was simply a mountain’s face. 

“Where’s the Moonstone?” Glimmer looked over at Milo. They gestured to the mountain. “The Moonstone is there. Or rather, the power is.” Adora chewed on her lip and her blue eyes glowed as she faced the projection and as the truth sunk in. 

“The First Ones built the Moonstone?” 

Glimmer looked up at the mountain. The Queen’s eyes snapped to Adora, who instinctively moved to her friend’s side, placing a hand on her shoulder. “People always fear what they can’t control.” 

Glimmer looked at the warrior. “What?” 

“That’s what Madame Razz told me the first time we met.” Adora said. “The First Ones realized they couldn’t control the magic they were harvesting. It had a life of its own.” The blonde frowned as she processed the new information. “That explains why Light Hope was so desperate. She was created because She Ra, the last piece to control the magic, was out of control.” Adora sucked in a breath and seethed through her teeth. “Out of _her_ control.” 

“Protocol Directive: Heart of Etheria.” All four sets of eyes turned to the hologram of Tayla as she stood before the council. Milo was there, but they were shoved off to the side as Tayla stepped forward, presenting her work through another hologram. She flipped through several images. “The sword was just the beginning. We must install a framework to channel the power of this planet. Otherwise, it will undermine everything we’ve worked for.” 

Milo’s fists clenched and they stepped forward, swiping through the projection, and severing it. “The planet will die if you set this off!” 

“Guardian Milo, you are out of line! The protocol will allow us access to parts of this planet we couldn’t use before. Take comfort in how this will help all of us. It may save our home.” 

Milo’s eyes scanned the room. Not a single council member seemed troubled by the potential cost. No one even seemed to be worried about the idea of using massive power sources to blast enemies from the skies. 

“Did you not tell us that there would be an attack on us?” One of the elders asked, turning to Milo as Tayla retrieved the data hologram once more. Milo remembered their teachings then. Not all information was inherently good or bad. The future or its paths simply were what they were. The interpretations on the other hand, would determine if the potentials would be for ill or good. Sometimes it wasn’t something discernable between the two. All Milo knew at that moment was that an attack might happen. They’d presented the findings, sure that the honesty was the correct choice. 

“You helped us, Milo. Now we can attack before they do. We can eliminate our enemies.” Tayla smiled at them, placing a hand on their shoulder. Milo’s heart dropped into their stomach. With every passing second it felt like someone had spun the room around enough to make them dizzy. Everything felt sickeningly disconnected. 

They turned and exited the room. Tayla followed into the hallway. “Milo, where are you going? What are you doing?” 

They drew themselves up. “What are _you_ doing?” Tayla pulled her face back as if struck. She stared at her friend. They had been spending increased amounts of time in the Whispering Woods. Where they went or what they did seemed inconsequential or irrelevant to her work, so she never asked questions. They were the Guardian and they abided by the rules of their role. 

“What do you mean?” 

“What do I mean? Tayla, have you looked at what’s happening to Etheria? What we are doing to it?” 

Part of Milo wanted to see Tayla pause and think about it. Or to ask for Milo to show her what was happening. It wasn’t that long ago that they would have gone out to explore the magic together for the sake of knowledge. Tayla enjoyed the facts and wisdom of every planet they’d studied as much as Milo did. 

But before them stood not a curious child but a fear-stricken skeleton of the girl who had looked up to Mara. She was clad in full body armor, her helmet tucked under her arm, hair tied back in a neat bun. Everything was tidy, not a hair out of place, and the way she stared, even though it had some familiarity, was hollow. 

“Tayla, I know what I showed you was terrifying, but we can change it.” Milo said. They regretted showing Tayla their visions. Even they didn’t fully understand the images. But the visions were strong enough to convince Tayla that their mission on Etheria had to change. Light Hope had to change. 

“No, what you showed me cannot be altered. It will be as you said. You’re the Guardian, it must be true.” She rested her hand on her holster as she fixed them with a hard stare. No one could have seen how far everything would be pushed. No one could have predicted that by using the magic of Etheria, the future could be seen, but not avoided as they thought. Rather it was the vision that set the destruction in motion. 

“One day you’ll see that what you did was good. That it was right.” 

The hologram shook and then vanished abruptly. Adora was off like a shot, fast walking to where she knew the Core was. If magic and time overlapped as she’d seen it both in the Crystal Temple and here, then the Core had the answers she sought. The Core would know who she was. _It has to know where I came from._

> Milo made it to the top of the tallest peak in Bright Moon, their body weary, and their tunic soaked through with a mixture of sweat, dirt, and cold water from the dripping melted snow that weighed on the trees. They cast a glance around and then strode into the cavern. 
> 
> “Back again.” It was a satisfactory sneer that snarled at its end. There was a hunger in the worm’s eyes that stretched through to the dripping of saliva from its teeth. 
> 
> Milo looked up at the long worm-like monster before them. “You said you know how to channel magic.” 
> 
> The beast slithered around the young Guardian. “I know many things, Young One.” Milo licked their lips, sucking in their breath to appear more courageous than they truly felt. “You have a question. Ask.” 
> 
> “How do I seal magic?” The monster hissed and then growled. 
> 
> “You would dare to steal the magic from my domain?” The monster lowered its head to be close enough that Milo could smell its heavy stench. The whole cavern was saturated in the smell of the ooze that the monster excreted and the pure warm feeling that the magic it held created. Although it was mostly gross in a general sense, Milo could also feel it was how the natural state of most creatures in Etheria. Their existence made the planet flourish. This worm, this Guardian was no different. 
> 
> “No, not steal.” Milo said, holding up their hands. The creature did its equivalent of lifting a brow, though it did fully have an eyebrow to lift in the first place. “The people of my planet are…misguided. They don’t and probably will never understand how powerful the magic here is. They cannot get their hands on it.” Milo looked at the creature. “I cannot stop them from taking all of it. But maybe, if I can hide it, I can be sure that only those who are worthy can take the magic from certain places.” 
> 
> The creature tilted its head. “And you would have me judge worthiness among your kind?” 
> 
> Milo looked down at their feet. “I’m going to take my people away from here. But the damage they’ve done to the magic will stay. The only way to protect it from falling into the wrong hands is to seal it.” 
> 
> The worm looked out the cavern entrance. “My magic is of the Moon, Child. I cannot help with other kinds. But I can teach you the seal I will use for my power. No one will use it without permission from Etheria.” 
> 
> Milo inclined their head. “Thank you. I wish I could have done a better job of protecting this planet. It was… though not directly, my responsibility.” 
> 
> The creature’s eyes glowed and orbs floated around it in what looked to be a dance of energy. “Draw a rune, Child. I will guide you. On one condition.” 
> 
> Milo looked up at the creature. “You must never return here. If your people come back, all that is left of the scars you’ve left will turn on you. That is the magic of Etheria. It protects its own. Your kind will be poisoned if they try this again.” 
> 
> A shock flowed through Milo. They knew it meant that they would have to evacuate everyone. The planet would be sealed, away from prying hands, but it would kill its enemies. As Guardian Milo had to protect everyone. It was a sworn oath. But it was no longer one they could keep. Not when so many lives were at stake. Mara knew this. She’d asked them to help. 
> 
> Milo nodded to the worm. “Let’s begin.” 
> 
> “On your own head be it, Child.” The worm’s voice thundered through the cavern. Its eyes glowed and outside the Moon shone brighter than it had in centuries, flurries of orbs of magic drawn into the cave. 
> 
> Milo walked out, tired, but as they passed one of the First Ones’ outposts, they tapped the stone with their hand. The spot on their palm immediately burned bright red and then threads of red magic stretched across their body. The seal had worked. It was time to go. 

Tayla stepped out of the portal. Etheria was different than she remembered it. Though it had been hundreds of years by Etherian standards. Her eyes fell on the Castle in the distance. Many things had changed, but the Bright Moon Castle remained more or less the same, and she knew better than anyone how Etheria’s magic worked. Two dark eyes went to the Whispering Woods. She knew what had to be done. Light Hope had been a minor setback, an annoying one and one that Tayla wouldn’t have guessed would fail. The programming was perfect. But Mara had done something to it, to Light Hope, to Milo, and nothing else could be allowed to fail. 

Her hand closed over the sigil and she slipped it into her bag as she saw a figure approaching from across the bridge to the Castle. He was a somewhat tall man with an armored crop-top with a heart on the front. On his back was a golden colored quiver with an odd assortment of arrows in the back. Tayla put her best smile on and approached the stranger. 

“Hello, I’m not from around here, I’m wondering if you could point me in the direction of the Crystal Castle.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! See you at the next update!


End file.
